OAKLAND -- No one among the Warriors had a deeper desire to beat the Cavaliers than Stephen Curry, and his performance Monday gave every indication that he wanted it as badly as he needed it.
And after losing the point-guard battle to Cleveland's Kyrie Irving in four successive games, all Warriors losses, it was past time for Curry as the back-to-back MVP to stand up and make a statement.
His response was impressive: 20 points (7-of-20 shooting), 11 assists, four steals and a 126-91 rout by the Warriors. He was plus-23 over 31 minutes.
"He was making shots, it's as simple as that," Irving said. "In transition, off pick-and-rolls, doing what he does and that makes him a great player."
Irving's response: 17 points (6-of-19 shooting), two assists and a game-high-tying (with teammate LeBron James) six turnovers. Irving was minus-12 over 29 minutes.
"Steph was great," coach Steve Kerr said. "A phenomenal first half, I think he had 10 assists. His energy was great and he set the tone. He put a lot of pressure on the defense."
Sports
Curry has been playing with renewed vigor lately, his mentality changing shortly after the Warriors on Christmas Day in Cleveland blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, taking a 109-108 loss. Curry took only 11 shots, scoring 15 points.
He was particularly good in the first half, scoring 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, with 10 assists and three steals. Curry clearly came to destroy.
"It was a great way to start, just a foot on the gas pedal," Curry said.
Curry's game, along with the victory, may silence some of the narrative suggesting the Cavaliers have his number. Though he was displeased with one aspect of his game, Curry happily accepted the outcome. Or that Irving hadn't caught up to him.
"I obviously wanted to play well; I didn't want to walk off the floor with anything more than what I think is a solid, aggressive game," he said. "I didn't shoot the ball as well as I wanted to. Some shots I normally make didn't go down.
But I can live with that knowing I took care of the other stuff I was supposed to do on the floor. Really, what was all in my head was that I definitely wanted to leave this arena tonight with a solid performance and obviously get the win."
