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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS vs ROCKETS

May 24, 2018

Stephen Curry

Houston, Texas: Game Five

Rockets - 98, Warriors - 94

Q. The Rockets are saying they know they're going into what they expect to be the toughest game of the year for them. How do you view being in an elimination game in a situation where you have the chance that you could get eliminated?
STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, I think we're in good spirits considering the situation, how these last two games have gone down to the wire. They made a couple more plays to get the job done, so credit to them.

But that's why you play seven games. That's why it's such a back-and-forth type of environment in the playoffs.

We have an opportunity to reestablish ourselves at home, get a big win. Keep ourselves alive, and then roll the dice into Game 7. Not all is lost.

We played well tonight, just not well enough.

Q. What did you think of Chris Paul's little shimmy?
STEPHEN CURRY: It was well deserved. It was a tough shot. If you can shimmy on somebody else, you've got to be all right getting shimmied on. So I'll keep shimmying, and maybe he will too, so we'll see what happens.

Q. With these two teams and the way you all have such powerful offenses, what do you think about the defense of both teams, especially in these past two games?
STEPHEN CURRY: I think it's been high level. Nothing's easy out there on either side. I think you kind of guess what the final score would be between the Rockets and the Warriors, and neither team getting to 100 two straight games. Don't know what the odds are on that. Defense is high right now.

We've got to continue that effort, just make a couple more plays to take care of our turnover problem we've had the last two games, and just build some momentum back to our side.

We have an opportunity to do that.

Q. Can you describe the last play, how it was supposed to unfold when you passed to Draymond?
STEPHEN CURRY: We had to go the length of the court. Coach drew up a play to get me on like a little wheel route to get some momentum down court. When I caught it, I saw Capela and James right in front of me, so I made a read that we could advance the ball down with a pass and maybe get a little hand-back or something, that I could get a look. Just we didn't execute it.

You know, that's how the game goes. In those situations, things are happening so fast. You try to make a read and think it's right in that situation, and hopefully you can get a shot up, but it just didn't happen.

Q. Why has it been such a struggle for you guys to resemble who you've been all season? What have they done to take you out of your game and make you look out of sorts, especially late in games?
STEPHEN CURRY: We talked about a lot, a lot has been said about what's wrong with us, but they're a 65-win team for a reason. They have formulated a roster that can switch and try to push you out, outside the perimeter when you're initiating your offense and whatnot.

But tonight we got great shots consistently throughout the game. When you have 16 turnovers, most of those in transition, when you can start to feel the tide turn a little bit. Then they're taking the ball out of bounds, coming back the other way. Those are the type of moments that we missed on tonight.

But they're a solid defensive team. Just got to continue to be aggressive, assertive, and decisive in everything we do, and tonight we did that.

Q. They had 17 more three-point attempts than you. D'Antoni postgame kind of pointed that out as a difference. They didn't shoot it as good as you. But are you okay with them getting that many more threes up than you guys?
STEPHEN CURRY: It's kind of how they play. I think for the most part of the night I can probably count five or six in my head where they were wide open. The rest of them were tough looks. CP hit a bunch of tough ones in the third quarter. Obviously James didn't get up any, but got up 11 tough threes. Eric Gordon hit some timely threes. Obviously, the last one in the fourth quarter. One thing, earlier in the fourth quarter when we were starting to build a little bit of a lead.

So it it's just the way they get them up, we've got to continue to make them work. For the most part, we did that tonight. And if we're going to climb our way back into the series, that's going to have to happen in Game 6, for sure.

Q. Not only did CP hit you with the shimmy, he hit you with all of those shots at the end of the shot clock, under pressure. How difficult was that to do? How difficult is it to be on the other end of that? How can the Rockets win the series if he can't go in Game 6 and 7?
STEPHEN CURRY: That's a lot of questions (laughing). Alright. Let me see if I can roll it down. He hit some tough ones that you've got to live with, to be honest. I mean, a lot of dribbles in iso, and he kind of found a way to contort his body and get a shot off. Three of them went down.

At the end of the day, obviously, good offense beats good defense any day of the week, but you made them work, and that's what you've got to do.

Obviously, I don't want to speak on an injury, until you know what the situation is. So kind of leave that there. But they're a talented team. Everybody who touched the ball is a threat. So you've just got to be on alert at all times.

The way he played in the third quarter to hit those tough shots to keep them close, that was the difference in the game.

Q. Can you describe that next to last possession when you took a running bank shot? You looked surprised it didn't go in. Obviously we've seen you make that shot. It looked like a very difficult one. It was contested. Just how did that unfold, and what was your thinking as it happened?
STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, with 22 seconds left, we want to go quick, just in case, obviously, we miss, we could still have another life with a foul and make it a one-possession game.

So I tried to make a read, get it to my right hand. When I let it go, it felt good. Just a little strong off the glass. Thought maybe I could try to initiate a little bit of contact.

But PJ Tucker came flying over and tried to get a good contest. I didn't even get to see it kind of land on the rim because there were bodies toppling all over me on the baseline.

But aggressive shot that I would love to make, but didn't happen. If I get another opportunity, I'm going to keep shooting.

Q. Coach Kerr moments ago said he feels great about where the team is right now.
STEPHEN CURRY: You don't believe him?

Q. Well, from the outside looking in, it don't look too great. So can you explain? How can you have that type of feeling being down 3-2?
STEPHEN CURRY: Because I think the way we've played the last two games we've played good enough to win and just haven't gotten the job done.

So going home Game 6, the way we played tonight, if we can repeat that, take care of turnovers, just stay mentally locked in on the details for 48 minutes, we know we can get a win.

Just with the talent we have on this team and the resiliency and whatnot, you know, we can get the job done.

I think we're excited about that opportunity to go home, to get ourselves back in the series, stay alive, obviously, like I said, then worry about a Game 7.

We haven't been in this position before, this team and teams of old, so it's a chapter we need to figure out and finish the story.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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