Stephen Curry has seen it all. Championships, collapses, comebacks. But even he didn’t bother to hide it Saturday night. A sharp side-eye. A heavy pause. A telling silence. That’s all it took to expose something deeper brewing within the Warriors.
Because at Chase Center, while the scoreboard ticked, the sideline was the real story: Jimmy Butler, street clothes and all, animatedly mocking Buddy Hield’s dribbling habits. Hield awkwardly mimicked him back. And Curry, seated between them, offering no protection, no jokes — just silent judgment.
“Buddy, stop trying to dribble. I hate that.” Butler had warned them days ago. Now the Warriors’ mood said it even louder: The leash is shortening.
And Jimmy Butler’s earlier assessment of Buddy Hield’s ball-handling couldn’t have been foreshadowed any better. The Rockets’ suffocating defense, often throwing a box-and-one at Stephen Curry, forced the Warriors’ secondary players to create off the dribble—a glaring weakness, particularly for Hield. A specialist in shooting, not isolation or dribble creation, Hield was exposed twice in crucial second-half possessions.
First, isolated against Jalen Green on the right wing, he misdribbled the ball off his own foot for a turnover in a tooth-and-nail game. Moments later, he was pick-pocketed by none other than the slow-footed Steven Adams—an indictment of just how uncomfortable he looked under pressure.
With the Rockets keying entirely on Curry, the burden fell squarely on his shoulders to generate everything—whether creating with the ball or working tirelessly off it.
Golden State entered Game 3 tied 1-1 with Houston — a pressure cooker moment, one they usually embrace. But without Jimmy Butler — out with a pelvic contusion — the emotional compass of this team felt missing.
Curry dropped 12 points in the third to keep them alive. Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga brought defensive sparks. But around them, small fractures showed: rushed possessions, careless turnovers, players trying to do too much. Tonight? The Warriors matched the Rockets’ energy. But inside, their own cohesion felt just a beat off.
And Curry’s body language reflected it: laser-focused, but visibly less patient.
However, Buddy Hield’s sideline exchange wasn’t just awkward. It was illuminating.
Yes, GSW won, but tonight their margin for error was thinner than ever. Curry carried the offense through Houston’s traps. Draymond Green quarterbacked the defense. But every time Buddy tried to freelance or Moses Moody missed a rotation, the tension in the arena thickened.
Kerr’s early lineup shuffles — inserting Quinten Post to add size — reflected it: no slip-ups could be tolerated. The scoreboard showed a lead. The sideline showed concern.
The Warriors know they’re winning battles. But the war will require tighter discipline, sharper trust — and players like Hield sticking to their real strengths.
If not? Silent glares like Curry’s could become something much worse.
(This is a developing story…)
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