Volume 5: Unrivaled

The Playoffs Were the Real Stage. Nowitzki had camped in the paint all game, and one simple screen gave Curry an opening. He went 14-for-24 from the field, 10-for-17 from three, and 4-for-4 from the line, erupting for a monster double-double of 42 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. But the Mavericks resisted fiercely. Their three-point shooting was scorching hot, with six players scoring in double figures. They made 19 threes at a 44.2% clip and at one point built a lead of more than ten points. Caruso did not score much or grab many rebounds, but three of his five boards were offensive rebounds, creating six points for the Warriors. He was full of energy on defense, excellent in help defense, and recorded a game-high four steals, winning over the Bay Area fans. After reeling off nine straight wins, the Warriors became the team with the longest active winning streak in the league. Curry consequently won Western Conference Player of the Week twice in a row and overtook Harden for first place in the latest MVP rankings. Zhang Yu would never increase the risk of injury for Warriors players. He would rather see their regular-season record decline than enter the playoffs anything less than fully healthy. With seven seconds remaining, Barnes hit a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 122:122, and the Warriors had possession. Team doctor Schwartz believed the players' frequent injuries were likely because the Warriors had played too many games over the past few years. Every season, they played eight months of regular-season and playoff basketball, and the wear and tear was enormous. "I don't think there's anything wrong with my rotation. This was a great game. Stephen got some rest, and the young players got experience. Nobody wants to lose, but player