‘Resilient’ Warriors ready for bruising decider

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Golden State superstar Stephen Curry said they will have to show their resiliency after failing to close out the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of their bruising National Basketball Association Western Conference playoff series.

Curry has won four titles with the Warriors but said the current team — bolstered by the mid-season acquisition of Jimmy Butler — “is trying to do this for the first time together.”

“And I love that challenge, because we have an opportunity to write our own story and how we bounce back,” Curry said. “We’ve had a pretty resilient group over the last two months, and it has to show on Friday.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early on Wednesday, pulling his starters with more than five minutes left in the third quarter and the Warriors down by 29.

The Rockets cut the series deficit to 3-2, but Butler said the comprehensive defeat won’t change anything when the Warriors have their next chance to close out the series.

“Our confidence isn’t going to waver,” Butler promised.

“We’re going to start out better. We’re going to play a better overall game.”

But they’ll also be ready for another physical encounter, including what Warriors veteran Draymond Green called “pretty obvious” attempts by Dillon Brooks to target Curry’s sprained right thumb, making contact after Curry released his shots when a foul would not be called.

“I’ve been playing the game,” an unrepentant Brooks said when told that Golden State’s local broadcast commentators had remarked on the tactic.

“If (someone) had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time,” he added.

Kerr said he didn’t think Curry, who was injured in December and has been playing with a stabilizing wrap on his thumb, was affected — and noted that the swipes were within the rules.