Getty Images Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry nailed a dagger 3-pointer and told the Dallas Mavericks to go to bed during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, sealing a 127-117 Golden State Warriors victory.
The taunt by Curry quickly went viral but the two-time MVP said he was simply talking to himself, despite being directly in front of the Mavs bench.
“I was looking at the ball and looking at the rim, so I was talking to myself,” Curry said. “I don’t know who heard it. It’s a good way to finish the game, and we got to take that into Game 3.”
STEPHEN CURRY. GOODNIGHT 🌙
Curry has never been shy to shimmy and showboat a bit but says he doesn’t plan his celebrations in advance.
“You can tell I don’t choreograph none of that stuff. Just having fun,” Curry said. “You talk about having kids, you know how bedtime routines are important. It’s the final signal for a job well done that day. So pretty special.”
Curry finished with 32 points, going 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Curry Loving Kevon Looney Getting ‘MVP’ Chants
Curry is used to being the fan-favorite at Chase Center but on Friday it was big man Kevon Looney getting showered with “MVP” chants. Looney notched 21 points and 12 rebounds, providing a big spark for the Warriors in the victory.
“Amazing fan interaction. That’s how it’s supposed to be. He’s been playing amazing,” Curry said after the game. “Making his impact felt on both ends of the floor. When you get your home crowd appreciating the input from everybody and making them nervous at the free-throw line, it’s special, special. The way he came back, the way we all came back, and fought to the end.”
While Curry is used to racking up big numbers, for Looney it was the first time he scored 20 points since his freshman year at UCLA in 2015.
“I think we’ve been talking about it all year in terms of him playing all 82 games, Game 6 of the last series, coming back into the starting lineup and just dominating the boards,” Looney said. “And now he’s finding a new way to impact the defensive end obviously, and then being in the right place, right time, finishing around the rim, career high, most he’s had in however long. It’s amazing to see him just take the experience of being around these last seven years and being ready for his opportunity in different series. You could tell he’s got composure, he’s got experience and just the know-how. And whether he’s playing 30-whatever minutes or not, he’s ready.”
Warriors Bounce Back After Rough First Half
The Warriors were down big early but bounced back in the second half, showing off their championship-level poise in the victory.
“I told them that if we developed some poise in the second half, that the game would come to us,” Warriors coach Stever Kerr said. “But I thought we were so scattered in the first half. Maybe emotionally more so than anything. Dallas came out and just punched us.”
Doncic scored 42 points but it wasn’t enough to push the Mavs to a win.
“It’s the Warriors. They have a great team. They’re a championship team. We’ve got to adjust our defense,” Doncic said. “We were up 19, so it’s a tough situation. But we can’t look back. What happened, happened. So we’ve got to move on.”
Game 3 between the Mavericks and Warriors is scheduled for Sunday.