Draymond Green on Steph, Klay Thompson: 'F--k Them Jump Shots...They Got Heart'
After the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Houston Rockets with a 118-113 win in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series on Friday, Draymond Green heaped praise on teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
With Kevin Durant out due to a calf strain, both Curry and Thompson stepped up, and Green marveled at their propensity for coming through in big moments, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic:
"I can't remember a situation where we've had must-win games and my guys folded. I can't remember. I've seen guys have bad games. But I've never seen us in any situation where there was a big-pressure moment and they fold. But yet they're light-skinned and they're soft. F--k outta here. They ain't never folded in a big moment. But they don't get credit for that because their jump shots are pretty. F--k them jump shots. They show up in big moments. They got heart."
After going scoreless in the first half, Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half Friday, while Thompson scored 27, which lifted Golden State to the Western Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season.
Curry and Thompson struggled at times throughout the series, but they both came to play in Game 6 with a chance to send Houston packing.
In each of the series' first three games, Curry finished with 20 or fewer points, which may have partially been a result of his dislocating his middle finger in Game 2. The two-time NBA MVP bounced back to score 25 or more points in each of the final three games of the series, including 33 on 9-of-20 shooting in Game 6.
Thompson had been playing even worse than Curry with 16 or fewer points in three of the first four games in the series. He was especially bad from long range, but Thompson finished with 27 points in each of the past two games and went 7-of-13 from deep in Game 6 after going 5-for-10 in Game 5.
Green, Curry and Thompson represent the original Golden State "Big Three" that helped lead the Warriors to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2015 and 2016 and one championship.
The Warriors signed Durant after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, and since then, Golden State has won consecutive titles with KD being named the NBA Finals MVP both times.
Golden State was a top team long before Durant's arrival, however, and the Warriors seemed to remind the basketball world of that fact with Friday's win.
It wasn't easy, as the Dubs trailed by as much as seven in the fourth quarter and appeared to be on the brink of another Game 7 against the Rockets. But with Curry and Thompson coming up huge on the road, it gives Durant and injured center DeMarcus Cousins more time to heal before the Western Conference Finals against either the Denver Nuggets or Portland Trail Blazers.
Green, Curry and Thompson are all three-time NBA champions, and they are in search of their fourth title this season. With the Rockets out of the way, Golden State is a heavy favorite to return to the NBA Finals against either the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors or Philadelphia 76ers.
This may be Golden State's final run with a "Big Four" involving Durant since he can sign elsewhere as a free agent during the offseason. Thompson could also leave as a free agent if he so chooses.
If Golden State does at least manage to re-sign Thompson and maintain a core of Klay, Curry and Green for next season, Friday's performance suggests the Warriors may still be the team to beat in the West, even without Durant.
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