OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry did what he does, prying for open space beyond the 3-point arc, shimmying with the dribble, bouncing the ball behind his back, stepping back and letting go with a shot as quick as a blink and as high as the 15th row.
By the time it swished through the net, giving the Golden State Warriors a lead they would not surrender in a pivotal Game 5 of the N.B.A. finals, Curry was running back to play defense, a satisfied smirk on his face.
“Those are plays I’ve been making all year, and moves I’m confident in,” Curry said.