Stephen Curry Says Warriors vs. Cavaliers Rivalry Over, Game Was 'Little Weird'

Given their battles in the NBA Finals for the last four years, Wednesday night's game between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland was always going to seem a bit weird, especially without LeBron James.

That didn't stop the Warriors (17-9) from an emphatic win, however, as Stephen Curry scored 42 points and provided seven assists to help the reigning champions to a 129-105 win over the home side. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson also combined for 41 points.

Most would predict the result will be the same when the struggling Cavaliers (5-19) travel to the Bay Area in April, so is the rivalry between the two sides well and truly over?

"Yeah," Curry said with a smile when asked by reporters, following his reflection on the game. "... Considering all the battles we've had in the last four years, it was a little weird here. Just try to keep the energy up and focus on how we're playing."

"They put up a good fight in the first half and made some tough shots. It took a concerted effort in the last 24 minutes to open up the game. Just an odd night out all the way around."

After reaching the NBA Finals for four consecutive years, the Cavaliers could finish bottom of the Eastern Conference, depending on how much worse the Chicago Bulls or the Atlanta Hawks perform for the rest of the season. It means there is almost a 100 percent guarantee of there being at least one new finalist this year from the East.

However, when asked whether he'll miss the battles with the Cavaliers, Curry responded that it's "still a little too soon" to think about that.

"I mean, it was a historic battle in terms of how people will look at those four years," he explained. "When it's all said and done. Right now, it's still a little soon. We're still obviously in the fight to win championships so we most likely won't be here [in Cleveland] in the Finals, but in terms of our chase for what's next, there's not much time to really think about that as we go forward."

"Obviously great memories and tough memories in this building. I'll definitely sit back on the couch in 10, 12 years when it's all over and think about what it was like to play here, how high the stakes were every time we came into this building."

Curry was playing in just his third game since returning last week from a groin injury suffered in November. He has averaged 33 points in those three games and seems to be right back to his old self.

"I hope so, three weeks is a long time in terms of everyday, wanting to get back out there," he added. "But in the grand scheme of things, you put in the work and stay patient obviously, there's going to a little transition period but you hope to get back to where you're at."

The Warriors will play the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday next, against whom Curry notably suffered his groin injury last month.