After two games and a half games of battling Houston’s lumbering, earth-bound giants in what seemed to be a constricting box, Steph Curry and the Warriors finally broke loose. Without an injured Jimmy Butler, a hot-shooting Buddy Hield gave Curry the oxygen he needed to breathe — and score 36 points — against the Rockets.

Stephen Curry had 36 points, and the Warriors delivered perhaps their gutsiest performance of the season in a 104-93 win to take a 2-1 series lead over the Rockets.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined, Steph Curry dropped 36 points in Game 3 to lead the Warriors to a 2-1 series edge over the Rockets.