SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry's pregame warmup has become such a spectacle that the bottom step of the lower bowl is flooded with fans 75 minutes before every Golden State Warriors home game. That's usually when Curry comes out of the locker room. It's a routine so well known locally that people deliberately show up to catch it.
But that wasn't the pleasure that awaited them on Saturday evening. The crowded sideline and crowded baseline instead witnessed Dario Šarić working on his methodical pick-and-pops. One particularly eager but confused child received the bad news from a security guard. Curry didn't come. He had already finished his training.
More than two hours before tipoff, well before fans were allowed into the building, Curry came out with Brandin Podziemski as part of the first time slot usually reserved for freshmen. It was a strange sight – Curry, without all the noise and the adoration and the autograph seekers and the attention that surrounded his every move, jumping up in the silence. Here's a quick insight.
The Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 124-120, a much-needed victory in a desperate time. Curry scored 16 of his 37 points in a frantic fourth quarter, bringing himself and the arena to life in several key moments to pull them over the finish line.
Afterward, in the locker room, I asked a question of Podziemski, the junior guard who watches Curry whenever he gets the chance, peppering him with comments from an adjacent locker room and seen in the picture above watching him from the other bench observed: Why do you think Curry was with you so early?
Podziemski theorized about how to escape the hustle and bustle, the chaos, and the people. It's something that impressed Podziemski in his first year with his world-famous teammate. There are so many hands and eyes and demands on Curry before the game.
“But he still has to prepare to do his job,” Podziemski said.
Curry's press conference took place later in the evening, right after he spent time taking photos with Monta Ellis' family in the locker room. Ellis was a guest of the Warriors as part of the franchise's occasional alumni celebration, and his young daughter is a big fan of Curry's.
Curry was asked why he changed his routine and left early. He remained reserved.
“You won’t miss anything,” Curry said. “I just wanted to change it up a little to prepare my body and mind a little for playing.”
After Curry completed his media duties, Podziemski's theory was presented to him. Have you changed the time of your routine to eliminate distraction and create a quieter environment for preparation?
“Absolutely,” he admitted.
Curry appeared exhausted after the game after several of these recent losses. Go look his press conference in Oklahoma City. He played 40 minutes and scored 34 points on the night, but again witnessed his tumbling team blow a big lead and fail to knock out a conference opponent. After a 3-0 road loss, they were 10-14 and without Draymond Green, whose career is at a crossroads. Curry spent part of the road trip in deep discussions with Green and those trying to get this team back together during his indefinite suspension.
“Steph has been through a lot over the last few days with the Draymond news,” Steve Kerr said. “He had to, let’s be honest, carry this team through the first quarter of the season. We simply didn't manage to build momentum and find formations that worked. He carried us. Then the Draymond news. To be honest, I think he was emotionally exhausted over the last few days.”
The Warriors appeared to be in danger of blowing a big lead again on Saturday night. The Nets were up 18 points, but it all melted away in a bad third quarter. Brooklyn took the lead early in the fourth period. Kerr had to call Curry's number earlier than planned and replaced him again with 8:40 left after Mikal Bridge's 3 gave the Nets a 99-97 lead.
Curry scored 16 points on 7 of 7 shooting over the next eight minutes. His two three-pointers in the fourth quarter came back-to-back just before the five-minute mark. It increased the score from a tie at 106-106 to a Warriors lead of 112-106. After the second deep right three-pointer, he turned to Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and called a timeout signal. Here is the recording.
After the demonstrative time-out call, Curry found Gary Payton II on the bench and celebrated long and loudly. It was the kind of emotional outburst from Curry that made you wonder if the Nets players had been chirping at him to get him going.
“No,” Curry said. “We just desperately needed this win. That was a good swing. And I was a little tired. That’s why I wanted them to take a timeout so I could go to the bench.”
Curry's battle with fatigue was the theme of the evening. Andrew Wiggins is in such deep trouble that he was replaced in the starting lineup by Podziemski. Klay Thompson is on the rise, scoring a total of 54 goals over the last two games, but his high inconsistency in action has weakened the Warriors' offense for several nights. Then there's Green, whose suspensions keep him off the field and keep the franchise in constant drama.
That means Curry — who turns 36 in March but still averages 29 points on 47/42/94 shooting splits — is in a race against time and must muster as much energy as possible to this Warriors -Pull the team out of the spiral and back into the playoff picture before it's too late. Was that emotionally draining?
“Yes,” Curry said. “There was a lot of conversation and a lot of noise around us. The day before the LA game we had a meeting that was important for us to clarify where we stand, what's going on and everyone can say how they feel. The game of basketball presents many challenges on the court, but the friendships you have, the connections you have – especially for a man like Draymond, with whom you have been at war for over a decade – all of it weighs on you. You're trying to figure it out. They try to support him. It's just basketball, but performing brings a lot of stress while dealing with all the emotions. It's a lot, but every year brings with it a certain challenge. You have to be mentally strong through all of this. I’m proud that I can bounce back from times when things go a little downhill.”
(Photo: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)