No Curry? No problem. Warriors overwhelm Rockets in Game 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (Diya TV) — Stephen Curry has been a force to be reckoned with all season. Monday night against the Houston Rockets he assumed his usual role as team leader.

From the bench.

Sitting out the 115-106 victory due to an ankle injury, Klay Thompson and the rest of Golden State’s supporting cast combined forces to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Thompson scored 34 points and dished out another five assists in the win; Andre Iguodala added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Draymond Green had 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

Shaun Livingston, who missed Sunday’s series opener, scored 16 points and recorded six assists in place of the injured Curry.

While Green recognizes the importance of having Curry on the court, just as the rest of the league, he also thinks the Warriors have the depth to sustain his absence. The most depth in the league, he said.

“We’ve relied on our depth all year — not just when Steph’s out,” Green said. “I think we’re the deepest team in the NBA.”

While he might agree the team has depth, having Curry in the lineup does make the job easier, Thompson said.

“It’s so much easier without him out there. When Steph’s out there, his man just sags in the paint, he doesn’t move the ball, he’s a very selfish teammate,” Thompson cracked. “I’m just kidding, man. He’s the exact opposite of that. I think we showed it’s hard to fill that void. No one’s going to do it by themselves.”

Curry was seen on the court during pregame, but cut his warmup short after appearing in physical pain while shooting. He was putting very little pressure on his ankle during the shoot-around.

Rockets shooting guard James Harden had 28 points and 11 assists to lead the team, who have lost six straight and 14 of the past 15 contests against the Warriors. Overall, Houston is 0-5 at Oracle Arena during the postseason. He went 13 of 15 from the charity stripe after having not visited once during the series opener. After the game, Harden said he and his teammates missed out on stealing a win with the reigning league MVP out of the lineup.

“We just didn’t do enough to get a win,” he said.

Now Golden State and Curry will have time to rest before Game 3 is played in Houston on Thursday. However, head coach Steve Kerr said they will not rush his healing process.

“We want to make sure Steph is right and that his foot is fine and healthy,” Kerr said. “Fortunately, we don’t play ’til Thursday, and he’s got some time to get some treatment.”