Warriors Observations: Steph Curry Erupts Late, Fuels Win Over Rockets

What we learned as Steph goes nuclear, ignites Warriors win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

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Facing the Rockets for the second time in 11 days, this time in Houston, the Warriors did more stumbling and staggering than they would prefer but were upright at the end.

With four players scoring in double figures, led by Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, to lead the offense, the Warriors extended their win streak to six with a 122-108 victory at Toyota Center in Houston.

The Warriors led by as much as 18, but the Rockets never blinked until Curry took over the game with a career-high 21-point fourth quarter to close it out.

The Warriors (38-13) will try to push the win streak to a season-high-tying seven Tuesday at San Antonio.

Here are three observations from the Warriors beating a team they should, on the first night of a back-to-back set in Texas:

Steph dances on the stat sheet, owns game

In addition to his game-high 40 points, Curry also had nine assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block. Such comprehensive contributions have been the norm during the streak.

Curry over the last six games is averaging 23.5 points, 8.0 assists, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals. His overall game has offset the fact that he’s not scoring 30 points per night.

On this night, though, his shooting and scoring were spectacular, as he made 15-of-23 from the field, 7-of-14 from deep and 7-of-8 from the line. He played a team-high 38 minutes and was a team-high plus-18.

Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. spent much of the game barking in an effort to provoke Curry, whose emotions tend to flare in such situations. They did. The youngster learned the hard way that his plan was flawed.

Wiggins with another All-Star effort

For someone considered crucial to Golden State’s defense but no more than its “third scorer” on offense, Wiggins has been carrying sizable scoring load. This game was no different.

Wiggins again carried Golden State’s offense through the first half, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 beyond the arc. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, adding five rebounds and three assists.

Since being voted in last week as a starter in the All-Star Game, Wiggins has played at that level, averaging 22.0 points, shooting 56.9 percent from the field, including 45.5 percent beyond the arc.

With Thompson’s minutes being restricted for now and Curry scoring beneath his typical levels, the Warriors have needed someone to fill the void. Wiggins is doing so with efficiency.

Moody’s second start

When the Warriors arrived in Houston on Sunday, Moses Moody already was warming up in Texas with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors. A few hours later, in a win over the Austin Spurs, he finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Moody was recalled Monday morning by the NBA Warriors, and by afternoon was in the starting backcourt alongside Curry.

“He’s played great in the G League, he’s played great in practice, he’s continued to improve weekly and had a great game (Sunday) night in Austin,” Kerr said before tipoff. “I wanted to get him on the floor for his shooting and his defensive versatility.”

Moody missed his first shot, drained his second, a 3-pointer, and fairly quickly looked as if he belonged. The 6-foot-5 wing finished with 11 points, on 4-of-7 shooting, 3-of-5 from deep, along with two rebounds and one assist.