Steve Kerr wasn't shy praising his point guard Stephen Curry, knowing he's had to withstand a barrage of isolation plays during Game 1 of the series against the Houston Rockets.
“He's also the guy that is getting picked on in our lineup,” said Kerr. “Generally the other guys… they're long and athletic and great defenders.”
“Steph's used to being picked on, he's used to being the little guy his whole life. He takes a lot of pride on what he does and how he defends. The other night, they came at him, which we expected — I thought he held up pretty well.”
Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry’s defensive strides: pic.twitter.com/YxFsojUTR2
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) May 16, 2018
Curry was relentlessly targeted through picks and screens in hopes to get James Harden the most favorable matchup at all times. The Beard racked up 26 isolations on his own, according to Second Spectrum, but he only scored 12 of his 41 points against Curry, still not providing enough to edge the defending champions in a tone-setting Game 1.
Curry's hope is that through experience, he will pick up on Harden and others' patterns and eventually take advantage of it during one-on-one situations.
In a Cassius-Clay-like way, the Golden State Warriors took the Rockets' best punch early in the first half, eventually grinding them into giving up the lead in the third quarter and breaking through in the fourth, securing a 119-106 win to start the series off the right foot.
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