Curry brothers rivalry on display as Mavs host Warriors
DALLAS -- Typically, a late-March matchup between a title contender and a team fading from the playoff race wouldn't provide much intrigue. But when the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, all eyes will be on sharpshooting brothers Steph and Seth Curry in opposing uniforms.
They're calling it the Curry Bowl.
Even though the teams are headed in different directions, this sibling rivalry does add a fun storyline.
"Being on the same court with Steph is always special, it's fun," Dallas' Seth Curry told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Definitely playing against that team, one of the best teams in the league the past few years, so it's a great test for me individually and a test for our team to see where we are."
Of course, everybody knows Steph Curry, Golden State's two-time MVP who led the Warriors to the 2015 NBA championship. Not everybody is as familiar with his brother Seth, who has put himself on the NBA map and has become a fan favorite in Dallas with a breakout season in his first year with the Mavs.
Seth Curry, 26, has endured two stints in the NBA Development League and is now on his fifth NBA team. It appears he may have found a home for the foreseeable future. He's played a career-high 65 games and is averaging 12.7 points and shooting better than 42 percent from 3-point range in 29 minutes a game.
His solid contributions, which also helped him break into the starting lineup, helped the retooling Mavs (30-39) get into the playoff hunt, although those chances are dwindling as Dallas sits in 10th place and three games back of eighth-place Denver for the final playoff spot.
Still, Curry's breakout has made him a key piece in the rebuilding phase along with Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes and deadline acquisition Nerlens Noel.
"He's taken advantage of an opportunity to be in that starting lineup, getting significant minutes and playing well," Steph Curry told the Star-Telegram of his younger brother. "He has crazy confidence and swag about him -- you love to see that.
"He obviously deserves to be in the league and he's been proving that every day since he's shown up in Dallas."
Steph Curry and the Warriors (56-14) come to Dallas following Monday's 111-95 blowout win at Oklahoma City, giving them a 4-0 sweep of Kevin Durant's former team.
Golden State had been struggling by Golden State standards, going just 6-5 since Durant went down with a knee injury on Feb. 28. But Monday's win was its fourth in a row as the Warriors look to hold off the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the West.
While Durant didn't play against his old team Monday, he did travel with the club for the first time since suffering the injury. Still, Durant has about another week until he is re-evaluated.
Back to the Curry vs. Curry angle, Seth said there would be just one thing that would keep him and his brother from going at it.
"I'm sure we'll have our chances to go at each other," Seth Curry said. "We'll be on the floor a lot together, I'm sure. As long as he's not resting that game."
A little more than a week ago, Curry and other Warriors starters were held out of a marquee matchup against the Spurs in order to rest.
Both Curry brothers likely hope that won't be the case Tuesday night.