Steph Curry and Draymond Green's 'last ride' comes down to Playoff Jimmy - ESPN

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. Moments later, a heavyhearted Steve Kerr closed the locker room during pregame media access to inform the team of the trade and allow players and coaches to say their emotional farewells to Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters III.

The short-handed Warriors ended the night with a 131-128 loss to the then 12-win Jazz and were stuck at 25-25.

Curry, who had to take 31 shots to score 32 points in the loss to the hapless Jazz, returned to what was left of the Warriors' locker room after the game. Four players were gone from a tight-knit roster. But superstar help was on its way.

An emotional Curry turned toward Draymond Green. His longest-tenured teammate noticed tears on Curry's face, the emotion of the moment hitting the grounded superstar.

In the same building where Michael Jordan delivered the last shot of the Chicago Bulls' reign, Curry might have unknowingly given the final chapter of the Warriors' dynasty a fitting title.

«This is it,» Curry told Green. «It's our last ride.»

Curry had longed all season to play «meaningful» games again, wanting nothing more than a fifth championship ring. On Monday, Curry plays his 151st playoff game in Game 4 against the Houston Rockets. This one might stand out if Butler can be by his side.

After playing just eight minutes in Game 2 and missing Game 3 because of a deep gluteal muscle contusion, Butler hopes to return for his