Stephen Curry needs a break, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is going to make it his priority to find some rest for his superstar.
Three games after becoming the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 three-pointers and three days after his 37th birthday, Curry struggled to find his shooting groove in a 114-105 loss to the undermanned Denver Nuggets.
"He's tired. Steph's been carrying us for a month, he's been amazing," Kerr said. "We've got to get him some rest. You can see it, he just doesn't have his energy right now."
Curry made just six of 21 shots overall, going four-of-14 from three-point range, on the way to 20 points. He also had seven assists and four rebounds, but committed seven of the Warriors' 20 turnovers that led to 24 points for Denver.
"We try to take the pressure off him as much as we can," guard Gary Payton II said. "He has a guy on his hip 48 minutes of the game. I'm pretty sure he's a little gassed."
The Warriors are currently on a season-high seven-game homestand that concludes Friday against Toronto. "He's exhausted right now," Kerr said of Curry. "We've got to find a way to get him his juice back."
Playing without their top two players, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets got a season-best 38 points from Aaron Gordon to defeat the Warriors. Jimmy Butler led Golden State with 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
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Stephen Curry passes the ball under pressure from Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson. AP
