Curry amid 5-game win streak: Warriors 'level up' as stakes rise

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry is feeling the pressure of performing as the team gets closer to the playoffs

"(There's a) sense of urgency down the stretch," Curry said Friday night after the Warriors' 118-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "The feeling of where you are in the standings, every game mattering. And the idea that the chess match of 'how do we win this particular game' becomes a little bit more important."

Curry added: "We thrive off of that. That's why we've been so successful for this many years. Because as the stakes rise, the lights get brighter, we tend to level up."

The 37-year-old finished with 36 points, five assists, two rebounds, and two steals in the Warriors victory - their fifth in a row. He joins LeBron James as the only players at that age to score at least 125 points in a three-game span.

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler in February, the Warriors have gone 21-5 and jumped from ninth to fifth in the Western Conference.

Curry believes Golden State is playing at a championship level, but it still has work to do to ensure a strong finish to the season.

"You are seeing an identity on a night-to-night that we understand how to win games. Whether it's games where tempo is a lot faster, you got to score or if it's a grind-out defensive game. We've played better in fourth quarters with leads. All the things that championship-caliber teams do, we've been doing, and it's clearly different than two months ago."

The Warriors play host to the Houston Rockets on Sunday.