Stephen Curry overcame a slow start to find his shooting groove, finishing with an impressive 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.

This dominant performance led the Golden State Warriors to a 104-93 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, giving them a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Notably, the Rockets were without Jimmy Butler.

“To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant,” coach Steve Kerr praised Curry’s performance.

Steph Curry

Buddy Hield added 17 points off the bench, hitting five 3-pointers, as the Warriors extended their streak of winning Game 3 in the opening round to six straight. Gary Payton II chipped in with 16 points, scoring 11 crucial points in the fourth quarter.

The series now shifts to Game 4 on Monday night at Chase Center, where the Rockets will hope Jimmy Butler can recover in time to make a meaningful contribution.