The Golden State Warriors secured a vital Game 1 victory against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night with Stephen Curry accounting for 33% of his team’s offense. Despite the Rockets’ defense shadowing Curry every step of the way, the talented guard finished with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field.

Houston came out firing and took an early 7-0 lead but an astonishing display from Curry, which included some unimaginable buckets, saw the Warriors claw their way back to edge a 95-85 victory. Stealing the opening game on the road gives Steve Kerr’s team a huge advantage in what is expected to be a tightly fought series.

Veteran Forward Jimmy Butler Talks Up Curry’s Impact

The arrival of Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline gives the Warriors a fighting chance in the postseason. After missing out on the playoffs last year, the front office knew that they needed to add an experienced player to compliment Curry and Draymond Green, and Butler seems to be a perfect fit for the organization.

Butler finished with an eye-catching stat line in his first playoff game for the Warriors, recording 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Following the game, Butler chose to shine the light on Curry’s remarkable outing, calling on his Warriors teammates to look out for the superstar as they attempt to go on a deep playoff run.

“He’s gonna be the reason we do win it all. We all know that,” said Butler. “We got to protect him at all cost.”

The Rockets pride themselves on their ability to shut down opposing teams. Head coach Ime Udoka has constructed this contender on a sound defense with Houston allowing just 109.8 points per game against their opponents during the regular season.

Curry Too Good For Any Defense

Amen Thompson, considered an elite defender, was tasked with guarding Curry through most of the night. Despite an energetic performance from the 6-7″ forward, he was unable to contain the 11-time All-Star.

Just before halftime, Curry drilled a deep 3-pointer to extend the Warriors lead to 12. Thompson remained focused and continued to track the Warriors guard closely.

Halfway through the third quarter, Curry found himself running out of room as Jalen Green steered him to the corner. With the shot clock running down, Curry heaved a fadeaway over Green’s extended arm, converting his third 3-pointer of the game.

Curry recorded two more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to ensure that there was no chance of a late Rockets comeback.

With Butler and Curry, the Warriors possess a lethal one-two punch that should frighten any team in the West. There is still a long way to go in the NBA postseason, but Sunday’s game sent a clear message to the league that the Warriors are legitimate contenders.