Stephen Curry: Game 4 Loss vs. Rockets 'A Good Feeling to Keep Us Sharp'
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is viewing his team's 95-92 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday as a reminder that the defending champions need to be even more locked in to earn their fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.
"They won 65 games this year for a reason. They're a good team. We're a great team," Curry told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami. "We understand it's going to be a dog fight and the difference between winning and losing is a little finer than it was last year.
"Every year going into the playoffs, you know it's going to be a different type of journey," he added. "And it's hitting us right now. So it's a good feeling to keep us sharp. I think nothing's too overwhelming for us."
Though Andre Iguodala missed Tuesday's game because of a bruised leg, the Warriors had every chance to head back to Houston with a 3-1 series lead after heading into the fourth quarter up 10.
However, the Rockets ramped up their defensive intensity down the stretch.
That gear shift helped precipitate a fourth-quarter collapse from the Warriors, who managed a meager 12 points on 3-of-18 shooting over the game's final 12 minutes.
"In the fourth quarter, we just ran out of gas," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the loss. "We scored 12 points. Tried to buy a little bit of rest for our guys, but they just outplayed us in the fourth and they earned it."
Curry, who erupted for 17 points in the third quarter, managed only three in the fourth and missed seven of his final eight shots. Kevin Durant, meanwhile, shot 1-of-5 from the floor in his 10 fourth-quarter minutes.
Come Thursday, the Warriors will need a few more fourth-quarter buckets from their pair of MVPs to head back to Oracle Arena with a chance to clinch a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.
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