NBA Finals: Stephen Curry hails Golden State Warriors bench

Stephen Curry lauded the impact of the Golden State Warriors' bench in their NBA Finals game one win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying: "They really changed the game."

MVP Curry and fellow 'Splash Brother' Klay Thompson had rare off nights at Oracle Arena on Thursday, posting game totals of just 11 and nine points respectively.

However, the reigning NBA champions came through 104-89 to take a 1-0 lead in the series – largely thanks to the efforts of their reserves.

Shaun Livingston was in outstanding form, scoring a career-high 20 points, while Leandro Barbosa contributed 11 as the Warriors' bench outscored the Cavs 45-10.

When asked if his less-heralded team-mates served as inspiration for himself and Thompson, Curry replied: "No doubt. If my recollection is correct, I think the first like five minutes of the fourth quarter me and him were on the bench and those guys go on a huge run.

"We're getting stops and pushing transition, making timely baskets and keeping our crowd in it. So they were doing their job and doing it top-notch.

"So regardless of how the night's going shooting for me, Klay, throughout the course of the night, we definitely get a boost when our bench guys come in and change the game.

"So we rely on that pretty much every night, whether it's 45 points off the bench or just playing aggressive and continuing what we start.

"But tonight it was the opposite. They really changed the game, and it allowed us to win tonight."

Curry was also quizzed on his uncharacteristically poor shooting, but insisted he is unconcerned ahead of game two on Sunday.

"I missed some shots and didn't get a rhythm, but the way that they defended, we'll be able to find some adjustments for game two," he added.

"I'm not worried about that, I'm just really proud of the way everybody contributed. You don't win championships without the entire squad coming in and making an impact on games."