Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are entering Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets with a chance to go up 2-0 in the series despite being on the road. And with the Warriors losing Jimmy Butler for the rest of the game with a pelvic contusion and Brandin Podziemski's status remaining up in the air, they will need a huge game from Curry to overcome the Rockets in Game 2.

With Butler out, the defensive coverage that Curry will be seeing will be as close to suffocating as it can be. Regardless, it takes a lot to keep Curry completely quiet, and in the first quarter of the contest, the Warriors star crossed the 4,000-point mark in his playoff career — a testament to how long Curry has been a dominant force in the playoffs.

Opposing teams know that Curry can never be given any sort of daylight from beyond the arc. In the first quarter, Moses Moody flattened Amen Thompson with a crushing screen, giving the Warriors star space to pull up from three. Curry, of course, made the open triple, and with him needing just three more points to cross the 4,000-point mark in his playoff career, he wasted no time in accomplishing the feat.

Curry accomplished the feat in 149 career playoff games; the Warriors star currently ranks 12th all time in playoff points, and barring injury, he is a lock to surpass Tony Parker for 11th on the all-time leaderboard. Curry entered the night trailing Parker by just 48 points, which means that he should, at the very least, surpass Parker by Game 3 of their series against the Rockets.

Nonetheless, with the Warriors needing a herculean effort from Curry to win Game 2, there could be a chance that the 37-year-old star does it in Game 2.

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Warriors experience dire circumstances in Game 2

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) and Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) react after Butler scores a basket during the third quarter at Toyota Center.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Health might be the single biggest variable that determines which of the playoff teams make it deep into the postseason. In Game 2, the Warriors' concerns couldn't be any more grave, with Jimmy Butler suffering a pelvic contusion following a hard fall after fighting for a loose ball.

The availability of Butler for the rest of the series will be crucial in determining whether or not the Warriors advance to the next round. In Butler's absence, the Warriors decided to dust Jonathan Kuminga off and even give minutes to Pat Spencer, showing how dire circumstances are for the Dubs in Game 2.