BEFORE STEPHEN CURRY went out for his pregame ritual workout in Utah on Feb. 5, he emerged from the visitors locker room at the Delta Center to hug Andrew Wiggins as he was coming off the floor. Wiggins had just learned that he was being traded to the Miami Heat in a five-team blockbuster deal that would send Jimmy Butler III to Golden State.

Stephen Curry went for a game-high 36 point and the Golden State Warriors, despite missing injured Jimmy Butler III, rallied past the visiting Houston Rockets 104-93 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series in San Francisco.

Playoff Steph delivered while Playoff Jimmy, out with a pelvic injury and deep gluteal muscle contusion suffered in Game 2, became his biggest cheerleader.