Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, who missed the last month of the regular season with a left foot injury, wasn't included in the starting lineup for Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. But the 33-year-old sharpshooter wasted no time proving that he can be just as lethal off the bench.
Playing on a minutes restriction, Curry delivered another iconic performance under bright postseason lights on Monday. He scored a team-high 34 points in only 23 minutes in the Warriors' 126-106 victory over the Nuggets at Chase Center, helping them extend the series lead to 2-0. According to ESPN Stats, it was the first time that Curry scored 30-plus points in fewer than 25 minutes (regular season or playoffs). He also shot 71-percent from the floor (12-of-17).
"I was so beyond impressed with what the Warriors did last night... They now look like the most dangerous team in the field," Maggie Gray explained on the Maggie and Perloff show on Tuesday. "That institutional knowledge of having that core of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond -- along with Steve Kerr -- when you add these newish guys to this team, this has been perfect for them... So I put them staunchly as the most dangerous team in the field."
"I do find it curious that you think they could be the team to beat in the West. Because, I think you've got to look at the Suns," Andrew Perloff said. "I'm so into this Warriors team -- the way the ball was whipping around the perimeter, it was a beautiful, pure basketball system. Curry, amazing. I'm still so nervous about the Suns... I can't go quite as strong as you can. Klay isn't Klay of three years ago. That worries me a little bit. Steph coming off an injury, too..."
Golden State, which finished the regular season 53-29 and earned the West's third-seed, will play Game 3 against Denver on Thursday night (10 ET tip-off). According to projections from FiveThirtyEight, the Warriors currently have a 90-percent chance to win the series, a 27-percent chance to make the NBA Finals, and an 11-percent chance to capture their fourth title since 2015.
Maggie and Perloff's complete thoughts on Curry and the Warriors' success can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.