Basketball On The Internet.

STEPH Curry was at his most outrageously brilliant today as Golden State deflated Houston's balloon 115-80 - the second largest road win in NBA Conference Finals history - taking a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference battle.

Only the rumbling sound of that balloon going bust could be heard around Houston, the Rockets' effort resembling a team very much in the toilet after losing for the seventh straight time to the Warriors.

Golden State's 4-0 regular season sweep was impressive but nothing to rival this rout which put the Warriors within one win of their first Finals appearance since 1975 - 40 years.

And it was 40 points from Curry on a wicked 12-of-19 shooting (7-of-9 threes!!), seven assists, five rebounds - three of them offensive - which told the story of this one-way debacle for Houston.

Curry became the first Warriors player with 40 points in a Conference Finals game since Rick Barry scored 44 ... in 1976.

“Steph was Steph. He’s the MVP … His shooting is hard to describe,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

But it wasn't just Curry's scoring. He grabbed an offensive rebound after boxing out Rockets centre Dwight Howard - who promptly fouled him hard - and in one play, the story of the game was laid threadbare.

Howard drove on Houston's next attack, missed, then fouled again at the Warriors' end, the Rockets in disarray.

Was there some debate over Curry winning MVP ahead of James Harden?

Harden contributed 17 points on 3-of-16 shooting for Houston in the pivotal game of this series, his 10-of-11 free throws comprising the bulk of his offensive work. He also had three rebounds and four assists.

Houston's 18 points in the first quarter and 37 points at halftime were playoff lows for the franchise.

Curry's 64 three-pointers in these playoffs have set him far-and-away ahead of Reggie Miller's 58 and Ray Allen's 57, and there are more to come.

But here's some better numbers. He is 64-of-143 (45%) on three-pointers in the playoffs.

Howard from the free throw line is 58-of-145 (40%) in the playoffs.

“We didn’t turn the ball over. That’s how you keep momentum on your side,” Curry said of how Golden State built their match-winning lead.

Draymond Green had a 17-point 13-rebound double-double, Klay Thompson had 17 points with five assists while Andrew Bogut, who fouled out in 20:27 with his fair share of dud calls, had 12 points and 12 boards in that time.

The Warriors need one more win to make it through to the Finals, while the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East need two. That's just THREE more wins before Australia again produces an NBA champion, Matty Dellavedova significantly important in the Cavs' campaign.

Houston now faces daunting history. This is the 117th time a team has faced a 0-3 deficit in the NBA playoffs and no team has ever come back from there.

Maybe pride can get them Game 4 in Houston but if it does go back to Oracle Arena, that is where it will end.