Donte DiVincenzo channeled his inner Stephen Curry in the Warriors’ Game 3 win over the Kings, showing off a wrong-foot finger roll that Curry himself would be proud of. Curry even leaned over to DiVincenzo to point towards his own chest, as if to say, “Hey, that’s my shot.” But let’s not forget, this was Donte DiVincenzo, not the great Stephen Curry.

It’s become abundantly clear that the Warriors are a better team when Curry is on the court, but the question remains whether the supporting cast can step up when he’s off. And with Draymond Green suspended and Gary Payton II out sick in Game 3, it was more important than ever for someone to ride with Curry.

Curry dominated in Game 3 with 36 points in 37 minutes. He also had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, a block and just 1 turnover. The Warriors outscored the Kings by 24 when Curry was on the court, showing that they are capable of beating any team, any night.

But the Kings have been successful in their goal to make Curry work and put pressure on the others to carry a greater offensive load. In Game 3, however, Curry had some cohorts in Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, and the aforementioned DiVincenzo.

Starting Poole and allowing him to handle run-the-offense duties was a significant switch that allowed him and DiVincenzo to be aggressive and take advantage of open lanes. Poole did his work on a visibly swollen ankle, while DiVincenzo handled the ball and got the Warriors into their flow.

Curry seems to have figured out the Kings’ scheme and its holes, allowing him to be in complete control of most of Game 3. He varied his attack, was more aggressive, and forced the Kings to feel the pressure of his attacking.

Ultimately, the Warriors’ supporting cast stepped up and allowed Curry to rest, a crucial factor as he faced layers of defense from a young and athletic unit. And as Curry said after the game, “They say Draymond’s got a history, but so do we. We know how to bounce back.”

Serious News: nytimes