Stephen Curry’s Western Conference finals stat line is unimpressive, at least by his lofty standards, but there might be a reason he’s struggling.
Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder are unafraid to get physical with the two-time NBA MVP, but Curry also still might be feeling the effects of a knee injury that sidelined him earlier during the playoffs.
After the Golden State Warriors’ Game 4 loss to the Thunder, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, citing a source close to Curry, reported the guard is “playing at 70 percent, at best,” which could be a reason for his struggles.
“Curry refuses to make excuses, but privately the Thunder see something — no explosion, no ability to make the bigs switching onto him pay a price,” Wojnarowski writes.
The results certainly speak volumes. The Thunder’s win Tuesday night gave them a seemingly commanding 3-1 series lead, and Curry has been a shell of himself so far against OKC. Curry had his worst shooting night of the series Tuesday, making just 6 of 20 shots (2 of 10 from 3-point land) and now is shooting just 42 percent in the four games against the Thunder after finishing the season above 50 percent.
Whether Curry’s ineffectiveness is a result of the injury or the Thunder’s game plan — or more likely, a combination of both — can be debated to no end. The certainty, however, is the Warriors need Curry to get hot if they’re going to come back and win this series in an attempt to claim a second consecutive NBA title and avoid being known simply as one of the best regular-season teams of all time.
Thumbnail photo via Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images
