Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul reportedly had Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry kicked off the Toyota Center court Thursday night after finding out the Dubs superstar was scheduled for a one-hour shooting session ahead of Friday's Game 6.
On Saturday, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported the Warriors' manager, Eric Housen, booked the court time, but Paul found out about it, traveled to the Rockets' home arena and took the floor for himself, even denying his Golden State counterpart's offer to split the court in half.
After the Warriors closed the series out, Curry could be heard exclaiming, "Kick me off the court again, boy," in video captured by CBSSports.com's Reid Forgrave:
The Rockets guard probably felt his mission was successful after the two-time NBA MVP went scoreless in the first half.
Curry exploded in the second half, however, scoring 33 points as Golden State eliminated Houston from the playoffs with a 118-113 road win.
The three-time NBA champion said afterward he heard the critics after some poor shooting nights throughout the Western Conference Semifinals, but he remained focused on what he could control.
"I've heard a lot of noise this series, for sure. I'll just leave it at that," Curry told reporters. "Whether it's positive, negative, whatever the case is—I know what I'm capable of. It's bigger than me, so I just don't get caught up in that."
Curry added the Warriors felt a sense of urgency to close out the Rockets so everyone could get some extra rest before the conference finals, especially Kevin Durant, who missed Game 6 with a calf injury.
"The least we can do is come in here and get a win," he said. "Get some rest before the Western Conference Finals and give [Durant] the chance to get healthy and go chase another championship. It's special. I know he's back at home celebrating and can't wait to get back and prepare for the next series."
Meanwhile, Paul finished Game 6 with 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, but it wasn't enough.
The Warriors advance to face either the Denver Nuggets or Portland Trail Blazers, who will play Game 7 of their series Sunday afternoon, with a berth in the 2019 NBA Finals on the line.
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