Stephen Curry far outshined Russel Westbrook in head-to-head matchups this season.
Sure, the two star point guards don’t defend each other every time down the court. And the rest of their teams are absolutely an aspect of their respective performances.
Curry, after all, has been buffered by three All-Stars in the first three Warriors-Thunder games and, even with Kevin Durant out with a knee injury, played Monday alongside Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Westbrook, meanwhile, has carried the Thunder alone as he piles up triple-doubles (34 so far this season).
But comparing Curry’s impact on the Warriors’ four wins over OKC and Westbrook’s affect in those games is startling: Curry was a combined plus-68 in those four contests, while Westbrook was minus-66.
That puts into stark relief the recent back-and-forth between Curry and Westbrook, who asked “Who is he?” when told of Curry’s MVP prediction. As he is wont to do, Curry brushed off that comment.
Here’s a look at how the two stars played in their four faceoffs:
Game 1 in November: Curry’s 21 points and seven assists made for a plus-17, helped by only one turnover in the Warriors’ 122-96 triumph. Westbrook went 4 for 15 shooting for 20 points, adding 10 assists and only six rebounds — low by his standards — while committing six turnovers for a minus-9, his best mark in that category of the four matchups.
Game 2 in January: Westbrook had a quadruple-double, coughing up 10 turnovers to go with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for a minus-19 in the Warriors’ 122-100 victory. Curry had his best performance of the four Warriors-Thunder games with a plus-19 on 24 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Game 3 in February: With Durant playing in at OKC for the first time since leaving the Thunder, Curry nearly reached the triple-double plateau Westbrook often frequents by totaling 26 points, nine assists and eight boards. Along with zero turnovers — zero! — that meant a plus-16 in Golden State’s 130-114 win. Though Westbrook dropped 47 points on 14 for 26 shootings, plus 11 rebounds and eight assists, he was minus-13.
Game 4 on Monday: By far Westbrook’s worst game of the four matchups, the 111-95 Warriors win included just 15 points by Russ on 4 for 16 shooting. He had eight rebounds and seven assists along with four turnovers to take a minus-25. Curry’s 3-pointer at the halftime horn helped him get 23 points on 8 for 17 shooting and he dished out six assists, giving him a plus-16 despite five turnovers.
There’s a perception in the league that Westbrook dislikes Curry, partly because the Warriors attracted Durant to bolt the Thunder for Golden State. Another factor appears to be Curry’s two MVP awards — which, while Westbrook doesn’t explicitly chase, he seemingly salivates over with his all-around prowess.
So it’s easy to wonder if Curry’s domination in face-offs this season will add fuel to Westbrook’s fire.