Early in the fourth quarter when the Warriors were down 77-74, Curry crossed up Brooks and launched a three-pointer. After Curry released the shot, Brooks, who was right up in Curry's grill, seemed to swipe at his bandaged right hand (Curry has been dealing with thumb injury since January).

After two games and a half games of battling Houston’s lumbering, earth-bound giants in what seemed to be a constricting box, Steph Curry and the Warriors finally broke loose. Without an injured Jimmy Butler, a hot-shooting Buddy Hield gave Curry the oxygen he needed to breathe — and score 36 points — against the Rockets.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined Saturday against the Rockets, Stephen Curry willed the Golden State Warriors to a 2-1 series lead.