Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson continue to add to the “Splash Brothers” legend.
For a brief moment, the Golden State Warriors appeared to be vulnerable. When Kevin Durant–in the midst of his greatest postseason yet–went down with a mild calf strain in a pivotal Game 5 in Oracle Arena, the balance of power shifted toward the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets had a golden opportunity to seize the advantage on the road and return home for Game 6 with a chance to win the series. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had other ideas.
After struggling practically the entire series, Curry scored 16 points in the fourth quarter of Game 5 to propel the Warriors to a win. In Game 6, Thompson scored 21 first-half points before Curry scored 33 in the second half, including a 21-point fourth quarter explosion that left the crowd at Toyota Center exiting in stunned silence.
Both Curry and Thompson are gaining a knack for performing with their backs against the wall. Thompson scored 41 points in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Curry scored 29 with six assists and five boards in Game 6 of the 2018 WCF (another elimination game) against the Rockets.
As Tim Kawakami of The Athletic notes, the “Splash Brothers” have been just as productive in closeout games, especially against the Rockets:
In those four series-ending victories for the Warriors over Houston, Curry was +1 in 2015’s Game 5, missed 2016’s Game 5, +13 in 2018’s Game 7 and +8 on Friday.
Klay was +9 in 2015, +29 in the 2016 clincher over Houston, 0 in 2018 (but was +32 in Game 6, an elimination game for the Warriors) and +6 on Friday.
With Durant's status still up for grabs heading into the next round, the Warriors will need Curry and Thompson to maintain their high level of play as they seek their fifth straight NBA Finals appearance.
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