National Basketball Association

Stephen Curry at crossroads as NBA Finals head for home

Published Jun. 10, 2015 1:29 a.m. ET

foxsports

CLEVELAND

There comes a fork in the road for every great player who strives to raise his moniker from "star" to "superstar." Stephen Curry may be facing his.

In Tuesday night's Game 3 loss to the Cavaliers, a defeat that put the Cavs up 2-1 over the Golden State Warriors in these NBA Finals, Curry spent half of the game doing what so few want to say, ever, especially about a player so likable: He choked.

He was 1-of-6 in the first half, notched just three points, played passively and, under the din of that Cleveland crowd and stress of that Finals spotlight, imbued his team with a similar kind of malaise.

"I've got to be aggressive," Curry said afterward, putting it mildly.

In the second half — finally, finally — he was aggressive. And so, finally, he was the MVP version of himself that had been absent in this series. He had 24 of his 27 points in the second half on 9-of-14 shooting, attacked the basket, played with guts and a need to actually take the shot, and imbued his team with almost enough for a comeback. Almost.

A fine word. Just not in the NBA Finals.

What he does, then, in Game 4 and beyond may well separate his career into either a great player category, or an all-time great. Things can evolve, of course, and second chances (ask LeBron) happen all the time. But sometimes (ask Chris Paul) you realize when it's too late that it is very, very hard to get this far. So seize the ring while you can.

"We'll figure out our game and the adjustments we need to make as we watch film later today, and we'll be ready tomorrow to give our best effort," Curry said Wednesday. "I feel like we're pretty confident we can turn this around."

Curry was also quick to point out that Golden State has been in this situation before in these same playoffs, in the team's second-round series against Memphis.

"We're down 2-1 on the road. Same sequence of games, win-loss-loss, so very similar situations," Curry said. "Obviously a different team, so you've got to adjust accordingly. But the mission is we've got to win Game 4. Go home with an even series and take it from there."

For LeBron James, his fork in the road is this: to be, or beat, Michael Jordan. Or to not do so. He has scored 123 points through the first three games of this series, a Finals record, while carrying a group of (to say it politely) less-than-likely champions in a way rare beyond words. To win this series — and it is far from over — would be an accomplishment on a level few, if any, have achieved.

Two great players. Two forks in the road. And each in the other's way.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.