Steph Curry says he's cutting down turnovers thanks to bet with mom

Even as the Golden State Warriors' hyper-talented, sharpshooting backcourt became the envy of most NBA squads, through the early part of the 2014-15 season the Warriors' offense was plagued by one of the highest turnover rates in the league.

For all his otherworldly range and ballhandling skills, point guard Stephen Curry was one of the worst offenders, coughing up the ball more than four times a game through the first eight games of the season - hitting a nadir with a 10-turnover game against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 9, in one of just two Warriors losses on the season.

It's been a different story over the last six games, with the Warriors posting the league's eighth-best turnover rate, and Curry himself averaging just two per game. Curry said Friday that a big part of his motivation for protecting the basketball lately is a bet he made with his mother, Sonya.

"Over two (in a game), I owe her some money," Curry said, according to Diamond Leung of Inside the Warriors. "And the Phoenix game, she racked up pretty heavily. So if I go below two, I get the money back. That’s my incentive, my motivation."

"He’s always been a high-risk, high-reward player," said head coach Steve Kerr. "The last couple weeks he’s become a low-risk, high-reward player. I mean, it’s incredible, really. Because when you have that much talent, and there are so many options for you out there, it’s hard to have no-turnover games.

"He’s really walked that line perfectly between attack and manage, and it’s been beautiful to watch."

"Just trying to make the simple play, stay out of danger zones on the court and getting trapped," said Curry. "It’s allowing our offense to dictate where the open spaces are, and then I don’t have to make home-run plays and try to thread the needle."

With his plummeting turnover rate, and ridiculous offensive numbers - 24.2 points and 7.7 assists, with 50-45-92 shooting splits - Curry boasts the NBA's third-best PER (28.84) and the best among point guards, while leading the Warriors to a franchise-best 12-2 start.

Thanks, mom!