Game Report: Stephen Curry dagger prevents Warrior nightmare

In another poor performance reminiscent of the night before against the Indiana Pacers, the Golden State Warriors escaped a second horrific loss thanks to their spectacular superstar in Stephen Curry.

After trailing for most of the night against the bottom-placed Houston Rockets, Curry stood up with a sublime, buzzer-beating stepback jump shot to deliver his team a much-needed win.

The Golden State Warriors trailed by as much as 14 in the 3rd quarter before a comeback culminated with Stephen Curry’s brilliance and a 105-103 win.

It was the same old story for the Warriors in the first half, with Curry and his teammates evidently lacking energy after the overtime loss to the Pacers. The shooting woes continued and the turnovers remained careless, combined with some poor transition defense that allowed the young Rockets a springboard into the game.

Houston led for all but a brief moment in the first half, with Golden State’s offense continuing to stagnant in the absence of Draymond Green’s playmaking. At one point the Warriors went four and a half minutes without a field goal late in the second, while Curry didn’t make his first field goal until the last minute of the half.

The Rockets’ 11-point halftime lead extended to 14 early in the third before the Warriors began to find an offensive mojo through Curry’s scoring and playmaking. The two-time MVP had 11 points and three assists in the third, helping the Warriors produce a 33-22 quarter to leave the team’s tied going into the fourth.

But after the teams traded baskets to start the fourth, the Warriors again seemed destined to leave Chase Center empty-handed. A thunderous Kenyon Martin Jr. dunk pushed the Rockets lead back to nine and had fans fearing a second unexpected loss in as many nights.

The Warriors quickly responded with a 7-0 run in less than a minute, forcing a Houston timeout with the score at 101-99 with just over three and a half minutes remaining.

What followed was a grueling battle as both teams failed to execute on the offensive end. Otto Porter Jr. sunk a pair of free throws to tie the game with just over a minute remaining before both teams missed their opportunities until the Warriors’ final possession.

Inbounding after a timeout with 5.1 seconds on the clock, Curry received the ball and dribbled middle before hitting Kevin Porter Jr. with a pure stepback J that hit nothing but net.

It was a serious escape, especially given the turnover differential led to Houston taking eight more field goal attempts. Curry was inefficient but finished with 22 points and 12 assists, while Jordan Poole added 20 and Andrew Wiggins 17.

Curry’s game-winner shouldn’t paper over the same cracks that again appeared significant in the Warriors game. But at the same time, they’ll be hoping the individual artistry can provide a much-needed spark as they prepare to take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday.