NBA: Curry and Warriors push Rockets to brink

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30), shown in this file photo, delivered 40 points and stopped a rally by the Houston Rockets Saturday, May 23, 2015. The Warriors won 115-80 and moved closer to sweeping the Western Conference series. AP

HOUSTON, United States — NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry delivered a dazzling 40-point display on Saturday as the Golden State Warriors beat Houston 115-80 to push the Rockets to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference finals.

The Warriors lead the best-of-seven series three-games-to-zero, and can book their first trip to the NBA finals since 1975 with a win in game four in Houston on Monday.

The Rockets will fight for their playoff lives knowing that no NBA team has come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a seven-game series.

Curry connected on 12 of 19 shots from the field, including seven of nine from three-point range.

He scored 19 points in the third quarter, when he was a perfect four-for-four from three-point range.

His stellar shooting helped stem a Rockets rally. They had eaten into a 25-point halftime deficit with a 7-1 scoring run to open the third period.

Curry, who broke his 2013 record for the most three-pointers made in a regular season with 286, has now drained the most long-range shots in a single post-season with 64 — surging past the previous record of 58 set by Reggie Miller in 2000.