Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have a 3-1 lead over the Houston Rockets heading into game five. They look like the more complete and experienced team thus far.
The Warriors have multiple veterans with playoff and championship experience on their roster, while the majority of the Rockets are playing in their first playoff series and have shown flashes of inexperience while facing one of the most experienced teams in the league.
Game 5 will be a chance for Houston to right the ship as they head back to the Toyota Center in Houston looking to force a game six and put some pressure on the veteran Warriors.
Warriors Fans Worried Over Rockets Potentially Targeting Stephen Curry’s Injured Thumb
The Warriors have not been unscathed, as they have had multiple stars injured in this series so far. Firstly, in game two, Jimmy Butler injured his pelvis early on and did not return. The injury also caused Butler to miss game three, which the Warriors ended up winning in Butler’s absence. He returned in game four, where he finished with a team-high 27 points and also grabbed a key defensive rebound to lead the Warriors to a 109-106 win.
Butler isn’t the only one who played while dealing with an injury, but since the end of the regular season, Curry has also found himself nursing and playing through an injury. He has had a wrap around his right thumb to manage an existing injury to the same thumb and has yet to miss time for the injury, including Game 5, as Curry was in his usual starting role.
However, Warriors fans took note of and were outraged by an apparent targeting of Stephen Curry’s injured right thumb by Rockets players, including Dillon Brooks, after he closed out on Curry and appeared to slap towards his injured thumb, causing Curry to grimace and shake his injured hand in pain.
“Suspend Brooks @OfficialNBARefs” is what Steph Curry Muse on X had to say about the apparent swipe.
Many other fans also had strong takes about the attempt to aggravate Curry’s injury
“Hurt the Warriors, that’s been their game, all-season,” one fan chimed in.
“Dirty player … Refs bummed Curry wasn’t hurt” another fan exclaimed.
“Brooks doesn’t know how not to be dirty,” a fan stated.
“This is why the @NBA has ruined its viewership,” another fan boldly.
“They have no basketball talent, so they have to resort to this. They’ll be sent home next game,” one user commented.
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr decided to rest his starters with the Houston Rockets’ largest lead in Game 5 reaching 31 points. With about 5:50 left in the third quarter, Kerr made a full lineup swap, subbing Butler, Draymond Green, Curry, Buddy Hield, and Brandin Podziemski out for Gui Santos, Moses Moody, Pat Spencer, Kevin Knox II, and Quinten Post. Multiple members of the Warriors’ main rotation, especially Butler and Curry, are currently battling injuries.