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Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen. But that title comes with a price. Because of Curry’s insane ability to torch defenses from anywhere on the floor, opponents view him as a threat at all times—and they’ll do whatever it takes to stop him. That was on full display tonight in Game 3.

All series long, the Houston Rockets have stuck to Steph like leeches. Anytime Curry even sniffs an open look, the nearest Rockets defender is on him like he owes them rent. And they haven’t let up for a second.

In the first quarter tonight, Curry lined up for a three directly opposite the basket. He got the shot off—but not before a Rockets defender came flying at him. And of course, it was the usual suspect: Dillon Brooks. He barreled into Curry, flattening him and sending the Warriors’ point guard crashing to the floor. But the problem is, Steph hardly ever gets these calls.

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It would’ve been one thing if Steph got the fouls and free throws to show for how physical players get with him. But the reality is that he simply doesn’t. What’s worse is that not even his head coach, Steve Kerr, is willing to speak out about it. When a reporter asked him what good officiating looks like to Steve.  “You don’t think you’re just gonna bait me. Are you James Harden trying to draw a foul? I’m not reaching,” said the former Chicago Bulls player, hesitating to give a direct answer.

Now, Steve’s reluctance is understandable. The NBA imposes strict fines of coaches and players who criticize the officials. Even so, Kerr needs to act as the Dubs’ best player risks getting injured.

However, the fact remains that defenders foul Steph Curry a ton. But the Dub Nation seems sick of all this. So here are the best reactions to Dillon Brooks’ “foul” on the Baby-Faced Assassin.

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Twitter goes haywire as referees continue to ingore fouls on Steohen Curry

Nearly everyone, Dubs fan or not, was saying the same thing. “Like how is that a no call lmao,” wrote one fan. In a similar vein, another wrote, “How is that not a foul yo,” questioning the ref’s no-call. And it is ridiculous that a foul as blatant as this one went uncalled.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Dillon Brooks' aggressive defense on Curry a smart strategy or just plain reckless?

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In that vein, fans believed that the referee was liable if any harm befell Steph. “If he gets injured it’s on the refs,” said a member of the community on X. And it is true. The NBA officials’ job is to make sure the rules are followed, yes. But one of their key roles is protecting players as well. After all, rules like flagrant fouls exist to discourage players from making contact that’s this excessive. But guess what happens when officials don’t enforce these rules? We see fouls like the one on Steph tonight.

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One X user lamented the fact that this is a regular occurrence in the postseason. “i get it’s the playoffs but cmon bro,” they wrote. And they found another user agreeing with them, who said, “The rockets know the refs aren’t gonna call shit, so they just keep doing it.” And yes, the intensity and physicality ramps up a lot during the Playoffs. But that doesn’t mean refs should ignore the rules when it comes to someone like Curry, right?

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All in all, this isn’t simply a random occurrence. When it comes to Stephen Curry, fouls like this have become the norm. Sometimes they get called, sometimes they don’t. And this is also simply a part of a much bigger problem that’s plaguing the NBA — shoddy officiating. And until you weed out the root cause, don’t expect things to change!

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Is Dillon Brooks' aggressive defense on Curry a smart strategy or just plain reckless?

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