Keon Ellis was a defensive force against Steph Curry when the Kings eliminated the Warriors from the NBA Play-In Tournament in April.
Ellis helped limit Curry to 22 points and force a game-high six turnovers in Sacramento's 118-94 win, and he stripped Golden State’s superstar in a tone-setting play he’ll never forget.
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Ellis recalled that signature steal earlier this week on "The “Deuce and Mo Podcast.”
“Any time I can just completely -- if someone crosses me and I just pluck it -- that’s top of the line," Ellis told NBC Sports California's Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan. “Nothing gets better than that.”
Stripping Curry encapsulated Ellis’ dominant night at Golden 1 Center, as he finished with three steals, three blocks, four rebounds and five assists as a two-way connector. He scored 15 points and owned a plus-27 in 39 minutes.
Warriors guard Klay Thompson also was limited, failing to score a single point on 0-for-10 shooting in his spoiled Golden State finale, adding to “Ellis Island” lore.
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Sacramento’s third-year guard truly had a blast that night. He even hit Curry’s signature “night night” celebration after the win -- a gutsy move, considering the “Chef” loves revenge.
“My only thing, though, is I only did it because [Curry’s] a troller,” Ellis told Mason and Ragan. “I love it. Oh, I love it. It was just a little troll.”
“Honestly, people on the [Kings] staff were like, ‘You sure you want us to post it?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me. Like, if he comes out and cooks me, s--t, it’s Stephen Curry. But I have that preparation going into every game. I’m not just going to try and go out there and be cooked by anybody.”
Curry surely will target Ellis and the Kings when they meet again twice in the preseason next month and again in the regular season Jan. 5 at Chase Center. But Ellis doesn't back down from challenges and, as he said, it’s “Stephen Curry” we’re talking about here.
“Not even off of the picture alone, but the fact that we beat him and kicked him or whatever … I would imagine he’d probably try to come out and do his thing,” Ellis said. “But basketball, that’s what we’re here for.”
We’re here because Ellis lit up Curry and sent the healthy Warriors home for the first time in the now-expired Curry-Thompson-Draymond Green era.
