The Warriors crushed the Rockets to honor Stephen Curry

We have to give the Warriors more credit. Their ability as a basketball team is well-documented, but they also have an outstanding level of emotional courage. It takes that courage to fight through the physical and mental stresses en route to the best basketball season of all time.

But it also takes just as much to dominate a game after watching Stephen Curry cry in despair during the halftime break.

Curry missed Games 2 and 3 against the Rockets after injuring his right ankle in the first game of the series. After much speculation and ominous reporting on the severity of the injury, he was declared fit to play in Game 4, much to the relief of basketball fans everywhere.

Early on, he looked healthy. Though he wasn't proficient in the first half, he was as audacious and sprightly as usual. This was all that mattered, because the game was always secondary to his health.

Unfortunately, right before the halftime buzzer, Curry slipped on a wet spot 35 feet from the basket, did a semi-split and twisted his right knee on the court.

The scene in the locker room was just as heart-wrenching.

There's an extra morbidity to Curry's injuries. Given the severity of his previous ailments and the history of promising NBA careers cut short, the fear that Curry will never be the same is the giant elephant in the room. We try to banish the thought, but it never fully goes away. It's only human to be distracted every time we see him crumpled up on the floor.

The rest of the Warriors feel this same dread at an even higher level. We may be connected to Curry through our mere fandom, but they are his teammates, his subordinates and, most important of all, his friends. For them, he's not just an amazing player in pain. He's also someone they care about on a personal level.

So, they could have been forgiven if they were a bit deflated after halftime. They will probably win this series regardless, but Curry's health is a much more important long-term problem at hand.

But they weren't. In fact, they rose in stature and turned what was an even game into a blowout. Rather than succumb to reasonable and expected gloom, they instead used the setback as fuel.

Led by Draymond Green, the Warriors played the third quarter with a vengeance. They battled and scrapped, fighting for everything (legally and otherwise) on both ends. Even without the key to the ignition, they put the foot down on the gas and revved up the Warriors engine. Klay Thompson went into his quiet assassin mode and Green turned in another powerful all-around performance. They blindsided the Rockets with a 41-20 quarter to put the game beyond doubt.

It was as much of a show of force as it was of solidarity. They wanted to express their devotion to Curry beyond words, in a language that he could appreciate. They found the perfect statement in crushing the Rockets.

In doing so, the Warriors thrust an accepted, but under-appreciated key of their success into the spotlight. Beyond their on-court heroics, they have a great affection for each other. Under the intense pressure of history, the verbal bludgeoning from colleagues and revisionist, and flippant dismissals of their achievements, it takes an incredibly tight bond to survive. They have to love each other, otherwise derision could fester and put success in jeopardy.

It's often an entertaining sideshow to see this love in action, whether they're rapping a certain banned song after games, pranking each other for April Fools' or dumping water on each other's heads after wins:

Clearly, this is more than just a collection of players trying to win a championship. They're also a group of friends who are fighting for each other, having fun and playing basketball in the same space.

After Andre Iguodala won the Finals MVP last year, he described the unique connection the Warriors players have. For him, it's rooted in religiosity: "(We've) got a team full of believers. We all say God has a way for you and a purpose for you," he said at the time.

Iguodala also revealed his admiration for Curry: "I want to be just like Steph (Curry) when I grow up -- just a God-fearing man."

There's more to this connection than religion, of course. Skeptics will wonder if these public declarations are merely a display to push the image of the Warriors as the fun, clean and friendly team that has dominated public discussion for some time now. But fake things are usually easy to spot, and this seems much more than that.

How else could that third quarter against the Rockets happen? The Warriors' declaration that they were fighting for their teammate wasn't just an empty platitude. Instead, it took form in visible and clear action. They were emotional, yet focused. Saddened, but intent on using that as a catalyst rather than a distraction. They obliterated the Rockets out of love for their friend.

That's made more endearing when juxtaposed with their opponents. After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year with great chemistry, this year's Rockets failed because a group of talented players haven't connected and even seem borderline disdainful of each other. That is not rare in the NBA. It is just a job and players are expected to perform, not like each other. But the Warriors show that goodwill and devotion can help unlock a level of harmony that is both wonderful to watch and daunting to face.

The news on Curry's health will obviously have a big impact on the Warriors' playoff future. He is the likely back-to-back MVP and they need him to be at their best to pass tougher tests. If the news is positive, another championship looks to be in the cards. If it's negative, those chances dwindle severely.

But this team keeps showing that they will rise to the challenge, rain or shine. They won't rise just to prove their mettle or show doubters that they can win without Curry. Rather, they will step up their game for him.

Above all, they fight for their friend. That's a precious and rare thing, both in sports and in life.