Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, there was a growing concern around the play of Golden State star point guard Stephen Curry as he struggled on the court. Curry took a major step forward with his performance, scoring a game-high 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field along with five made 3-pointers and six assists in the blowout 126-85 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.
The 30-year-old drew some attention in the third quarter after he nailed a 3-pointer that he decided to give his patented shimmy after the made bucket from distance. Following the game, TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley had some stern words for what he thought about Curry's actions.
Throughout much of his career, Curry has been quite confident about his ability on the floor that he hasn't rubbed everyone off the right way. Barkley clearly isn't too fond of his antics on the court that can be perceived as being cocky and feed into that perception that has made the Warriors a disliked team.
That said, it was more of Curry showing his confidence and relief behind his play that has finally broken through with a strong outing after a couple of subpar performances. The two-time league MVP showed much more comfort in the aggressive nature of his play that saw him notch 18 points in the third quarter where he hit all seven of his shots from the field.
Curry played a huge part in the Warriors getting the much-needed win to help take control of the series with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead to potentially advance to their fourth straight NBA Finals for a chance to win a second straight NBA title and third in the last four years. Although there are those such as Barkley that aren't big fans of Curry's extra antics, the fact that he is playing better is a major encouraging sign moving forward in the playoffs.