The Houston Rockets managed to contain scoring machine Steph Curry in spectacular fashion during their 106-96 victory over Golden State on Sunday. Considering that Curry dropped 35 or more points in his last three games, his paltry total of three points in this game was impressive and partly attributable to the defensive work by the Rockets’ second-year forward Amen Thompson.
Curry, who was struggling in the first half, seemed to be arguing with the referees about how the Rockets were protecting him as he strolled to the locker room. For the first time since January, Curry did not attempt a single free throw, and during that stretch, he looked like he was talking with Rockets coach Udoka.
“I just saw him without his shooting sleeve and I said, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’” Udoka made light of his first encounter with Curry. They were all just “friendly banter,” but the Warriors coach remained steddy about the way his team defended Curry and the physicality involved in doing so.
“Whenever you hear people start to complain about foul calls or cry about physicality, that means you’ve done your job,” Udoka told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I spent telling my team, when this team starts crying, up the intensity and aggressiveness and make the refs adjust to you.”
Curry jokingly claimed that he was the one who brought up the restaurant discussion because Udoka cancelled a reservation to International Smoke, which is owned by his wife Ayesha. “He made a reservation to International Smoke and canceled it. I was upset with him.”
Curry did emphasize that he wasn’t trying to get calls made for him and expecting to get a pass during the game. “You have been around 16 years, you’ve seen it all,” said Curry, via Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I don’t ever expect to get calls. I don’t go in looking for it. I try to play basketball, or play the way I do every night, Battle through physicality.”
