Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry says guys on the team looked at each other and smiled after Kevin Durant's injury because they knew they were going to have to step up in his absence.
Durant has been diagnosed with a mild strain on his right calf and will miss the rest of the series against the Houston Rockets.
Obviously, Curry and the Warriors didn't want to see KD go down, but it now presents them with an opportunity to take their games to another level:
This quote Steph gave to @WindhorstESPN about the Warriors reaction to KD's injury is really telling: "We all looked at each other. There were a couple smiles in terms of what that meant for us as a team — the guys that were going to need to step up in those moments."
— Ryan Cortes (@Ryan_Cortes) May 9, 2019
Curry didn't shoot the ball well in Game 5, but he was much more aggressive and productive after Durant left the game.
The sharpshooter finished with 25 points to lead the Dubs to a five-point win. Curry shot just 9-of-23 from the field and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc, but the main thing is he was looking for his shot and not being passive.
The Warriors have a 3-2 lead in the series. Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala will all have to play at a high-level for Golden State to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Many pundits are predicting the Dubs to lose to the Rockets now that Durant is out, but the Warriors are just fine with everyone doubting them. The Warriors, if they have had a flaw at any point during this season, have been guilty of coasting through games they didn't absolutely have to win or which carried comparatively little urgency. The flip side of this reality is that they have been at their best when supremely threatened.
By this measurement, their chances of winning this series aren't nearly as bad as some might think.
