It was clear to Steve Kerr that Steph Curry did not reach his usual pattern in the Warriors’ 117-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
It may not have been made clear to many others.
Curry dropped 37 points (out of 12 out of 23 shots), adding eight rebounds, two assists and a couple of steals. Yes, the two-time NBA MVP made eight spins and hit just 3 out of 12 points out of 3, but he also tried 12 free throws and drove aggressively all night.
The Warriors were over-8 in the minutes of Curry and had a 14 point lead at 11:16 that he did not play.
“He’s shivering a little here and there, so you can see he’s in some pain,” Kerr said in a videoconference after the game with reporters, referring to the persistent injury to Curry’s tailbone. “He was not at his best tonight, and it is the sign of an incredible player when a guy has 37 points and you say he was not at his best.
“But that is the barrier that Steph has set for himself. His profits were obviously a problem tonight, but I thought that Steph competed like crazy, and he is giving everything he can. He did everything possible for us to win. “
Curry did not play in the Warriors’ historic defeat on Friday, resting his injured tailbone after falling several times on Thursday against the Miami Heat. The 33-year-old joked with reporters on Sunday that it was “positive” that he hit the tailbone only once. Curry said the injury was healing “slowly”.
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Even though Curry was not the best on Sunday, the loss to the Hawks represents yet another strong night of waste. The Warriors, unsurprisingly, have been much better with Curry on the court than outside, but the disparity was exacerbated during the recent Golden State slippage.
In the last 16 games, the Warriors have been surpassed by 176 points. Curry played only nine of those matches, but Golden State was surpassed by just six points with him on the ground. The Warriors are 4-12 in the last 16 and 3-6 in the games in which Curry played.
“The situation is what it is and we have a lot to improve,” said Curry. “And there is a challenge that we all need to face. It is uncomfortable now. It is frustrating for everyone, but it will test us to find a way to make it last. [22] games are important and give us something to show at the end of the season. “
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