SAN FRANCISCO – Facing the league’s most physical and handsy defense without his fearless costar, the Warriors asked the 37-year-old Steph Curry to put the offense on his shoulders in the third game of Golden State’s playoff series with the Rockets.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined, Steph Curry dropped 36 points in Game 3 to lead the Warriors to a 2-1 series edge over the Rockets.

Warriors star Jimmy Butler is out for Game 3 of Golden State’s first-round playoff series against Houston with his status still unclear after injuring his pelvis and suffering a deep gluteal muscle contusion in a hard fall during Game 2.