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Curry rejoins Warriors practice, but unexpected for Game 3

<p>Records are made to be broken — but maybe not if you're Steph Curry after this post-season.</p><p>Saturday night, the NBA's Most Valuable Player dropped 40 points in Golden State's 35-point blowout of Houston in a game that made the Rockets pretty much look like the Harlem Globetrotters' opponents.</p><p>Per the usual, Curry was a sniper on the court, but this time was extra special. </p><p>Curry passed Reggie Miller's mark of 58 three-pointers made in a single NBA post-season, finishing the night with his 64th bucket from downtown.</p><p>What's more, it took Miller 22 games during the 2000 playoffs to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/mitchlawrence/2015/05/24/nba-playoffs-warriors-curry-is-doing-things-only-michael-jordan-did-while-sparking-a-new-debate/" target="_blank">establish that record</a>.</p><p>Curry broke it in just 13. </p><p>Bundle that record with an MVP trophy, playoff dominance and a team primed for an NBA title, and you've got "best ever" conversations surfacing once again — this time, with a little more backing. (Video via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6uRvv782o" target="_blank">Unilever</a>)</p><p><strong>"I feel confident saying he's the best shooter we've ever seen,"</strong> <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/golden-state-warriors/post/_/id/633/stephen-curry-and-the-warriors-in-full" target="_blank">ESPN's Chris Broussard</a>.</p><p><strong>"Probably the best shooter we've seen together with ball handling skills we've seen in the NBA really ever. The way he has taken over these games, it's like Michael Jordan. It's like Kobe,"</strong> a <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/" target="_blank">Fox Sports analyst said</a>.</p><p><strong>"He is absolutely sensational as a shooter. He's the greatest shooter I've ever seen,"</strong>  ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said.</p> <p><strong>"Me too. ... He's the best I've ever seen in my life as well. And, again, he does not miss open shots,"</strong> <a href="http://espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=mikeandmike" target="_blank">ESPN's Mike Greenberg said</a>.</p><p>Curry has had such a hot season that fellow NBA greats have also taken notice.</p><p>Kobe Bryant even <a href="https://twitter.com/kobebryant/status/601616084920238080" target="_blank">posed this conundrum</a> the day prior to this latest feat. <strong>"When the shots u take r the shots the defense wants u to take but r the shots ur comfortable taking #curryriddle"</strong> (Video via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYq2-bCdef8" target="_blank">Nike</a>)</p><p>No team in NBA history has ever come back from down 3-0, so unless pigs fly or the Rockets somehow summon the spirit of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, the Warriors are moving on to the NBA Finals.</p><p>That means one-half of the "Splash Brothers" will probably send many more threes diving into opposing nets before all is said and done this season.</p><p><em>This video includes images from Getty Images and music from <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Wake/Bonus_Beat_Blast_2011/72_wake-steppin" target="_blank">Wake / CC BY 3.0</a>.</em></p>
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State superstar Stephen Curry zipped around the court bouncing from spot to spot during his typical extensive post-practice shooting routine, driving to the basket past his regular practice coach Bruce Fraser.

Curry looked much like his healthy self except for a brace covering his injured right knee.

He returned to practice Friday to test his sprained knee and was strong in his lateral movement though the team didn't scrimmage at all. And the Warriors still considered him doubtful to play in Saturday's Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Portland.

Coach Steve Kerr reiterated Friday that Curry was unlikely to play despite going through part of practice. While ESPN reported from a Kerr radio interview earlier in the day that Curry had been formally ruled out, Kerr said he should have been clearer that he meant "probably" out.

"Today was by far the best he looked," Kerr said. "He's made progress each day. He took part on the court in a practice today. We didn't scrimmage but we did a lot of defensive work, five-on-oh, full-court shooting stuff. He took part in all of it and he looked much, much better than he did even two days ago. It's a great sign, but we still want to see him in a three-on-three, a five-on-five. I don't think that will happen by tomorrow at 5:30 Portland time. ... I don't see him playing tomorrow."

Curry and the Warriors practiced in the Bay Area before an afternoon flight to Oregon. Kerr had said a day earlier that the reigning MVP was unlikely to play because he hadn't yet practiced or done any scrimmaging to test the knee — so scrimmaging is the next, perhaps final step before Curry's return.

Kerr said Curry would be part of any conversations when it's time for a decision to be made for him to get back in a game.

"Whatever we end up doing with him will be through his consultation, with his agreement, and we'll figure it out together," Kerr said.

The defending champion Warriors lead the best-of-seven series against Portland 2-0. Curry also is considered doubtful for Monday night's Game 4.

"It kind of takes some pressure off Steph and his rehab in a way where he's not like, 'Shoot, we're down 2-0, or it's 1-1, I need to come back and play,'" center Andrew Bogut said. "It buys us a little bit more time if anything."

Curry returned from an ankle injury only to injure his knee April 24 when he slipped on a wet spot just before halftime of a Game 4 win at Houston in the first round of the playoffs. He sustained a Grade 1 sprain to the MCL in his knee.

"For Steph, he has to think about his future. He has to think about his rhythm. When I say future, I'm talking about beyond this year," Kerr said. "How long will it take him to feel 100 percent? While he's going through that, what's his body going to feel like? And we have to think about what's he going to look like, what's he going to do to our rotation? Ironically enough, you don't think about that usually with the MVP. But it's the playoffs, it's the highest level of basketball on earth. Throw a guy out there at 75 percent, it changes everything. So there's all kinds of factors here and dynamics. The great thing with Steph, he's smart, he's easy to talk to and reason with."

While the Warriors miss his league-leading 30.1 points per game, remarkable range and playmaking ability, they have dominated without their superstar point guard despite needing a fourth-quarter rally in Tuesday's Game 2 at Oracle Arena.

Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts was still skeptical.

"We'll see if he doesn't play tomorrow," Stotts said laughing. "We'll see."