Steph Curry’s masterpiece lifts Warriors to Game 4 win, ties NBA Finals

By Charlotte Wilder
FOX Sports activities Columnist

BOSTON — If Stephen Curry’s eyes had been lasers, they’d have burned holes by the Jumbotron of the TD Backyard within the third quarter of Recreation 4 of the NBA Finals. 

Golden State’s star stared on the big display screen, which was exhibiting former Celtics greats in attendance. As Eddie Home pumped his fist and confirmed off his championship ring from 2008, riling up the already extraordinarily riled up Boston crowd, Curry seemed away.

In that second, one thing about his expression subtly modified.

I had my binoculars skilled on him from the press field excessive above the ground, and it was like watching the ultimate act of an motion film, during which the superhero has to faucet into some additional vitality — some untouched retailer of capacity and willpower deep inside their soul — to defeat the enemy.

Which Curry did. Handily. 

He put up 43 factors, his second-most ever in a Finals recreation (he scored 47 in opposition to Toronto to drive a Recreation 6 in 2019), and 10 rebounds because the Warriors tied the sequence 2-2 with a 107-97 win.

“Numerous it’s due to how hostile the atmosphere was, the followers chanting, doing all of their shenanigans and all that,” Curry mentioned after the sport. “[And] Boston understanding how massive of a recreation it’s for them — in the event that they get the win, they’ll take management of the sequence. So it’s all that combined into the expertise of understanding how fickle momentum is within the Finals.”

Celtics followers ought to have been fearful beginning within the first quarter Friday, when Curry established his dominance on the court docket and turned to roar on the crowd. The TD Backyard was louder than I’ve ever heard it, fueled by Klay Thompson’s feedback about its not being “elegant” after Recreation 3, and Curry appeared to thrive on it.

“Steph clearly doesn’t usually present loads of emotion, however an evening like tonight warranted it,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr mentioned later.

Not solely did Curry rescue the Warriors (they may not have gained with out him), however he additionally did so after hurting his foot in Recreation 3. Kerr joked that the nonfactor of an harm made it seem like Curry was “actually struggling on the market.” Curry mentioned he didn’t discover himself favoring the foot in any respect, and it didn’t take up an excessive amount of mind house as he was taking part in. 

Recreation 4 was arguably Curry’s best Finals efficiency of all time. His splash brother definitely appeared to assume so.

“I feel in all probability No. 1,” Thompson mentioned when requested the place this recreation ranks for Curry. “I imply, this was practically a must-win recreation, and to go on the market and shoot as effectively as he did and seize 10 rebounds, and so they had been attacking him on protection. I imply, his conditioning is second-to-none on this league. Steph performed unimaginable.”

Curry definitely put his staff on his again, setting the tone early as he racked up 19 factors by the top of the primary half. It was clear that this was not the Warriors staff of Recreation 3, who let the Celtics go up 68-56 on the half, then regained the lead solely to blow it and lose 116-100.

No, this was the Warriors staff that has gained three championships with Curry, Thompson and Draymond Inexperienced because the anchors.

And Thompson had 18 on Friday. However that is now additionally the staff of Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney. Wiggins secured a career-high 16 rebounds and scored 17 factors in Recreation 4. The 22-year-old Poole scored 14, and when Looney was on the ground, the Warriors outscored the Celtics by 21 factors.

Inexperienced wasn’t tremendous efficient in Recreation 4, although his teammates mentioned he introduced the identical hearth and depth that he has delivered all season and 12 months after 12 months on protection. He completed with 9 rebounds and eight assists.

“Unimaginable,” Inexperienced mentioned of Curry. “Put us on his again. Willed us to win. A lot-needed win. Recreation we needed to have. Got here out and confirmed why he’s top-of-the-line gamers to ever play this recreation, you realize, and why, you realize, this group has been capable of experience him to a lot success. It’s completely unimaginable.”

Whereas Curry might need carried the staff up the hill, the Warriors finally delivered an announcement win all collectively.

“It simply felt like we simply needed to let all people know that we had been right here tonight,” Curry mentioned.

“Whether or not that’s their crowd, our staff, their staff, whoever needs to see that vitality, that fireplace — we feed off of that. And I feel it helped us simply get settled into the sport. As a result of clearly, with our expertise, you possibly can need it so dangerous you type of get in your personal approach just a little bit. And all people feels just a little little bit of stress. And it may well go the alternative approach.”

If Curry and the Warriors can preserve that fireplace burning, persevering with to seek out methods to point out up and stave off Boston’s smothering protection, the Celtics will probably be in hassle. The most important check of their season is about to return in Recreation 5. The Celtics should dig deep, the best way Curry did, to make sure that they don’t crumble in opposition to a Warriors staff that performed, in Recreation 4, a greater model of Boston’s recreation. 

As a result of Golden State did in Recreation 4 what Boston is normally so good at and what, on Friday, Boston couldn’t do. Led by Curry, it ended the sport taking part in as a real unit.

All through these playoffs, Boston has been profitable due to staff cohesion. With a younger core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Sensible, it ran by the Nets and celebrity Kevin Durant in a clear sweep. 

Then the Celtics defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in a grueling, bodily, seven-game sequence. Milwaukee couldn’t face up to Boston’s relentlessness with out Khris Middleton on the court docket.

Neither might Miami. The Warmth, the No. 1 seed within the East, melted underneath Boston’s punishing physicality, which is why we discover ourselves right here, watching probably the most skilled Finals staff within the league face off in opposition to a bunch of first-timers. 

And now the Celtics face the final word big in Curry, who made positive to remind them of that in Recreation 4. 

Performing such as you’ve been there earlier than typically counts for lots, however having been there typically issues extra. The Celtics collapsed Friday, committing 16 turnovers and seemingly forgetting how one can shoot a basketball. The staff seemed hauntingly just like the January model of itself, which had a 23-24 file whereas Tatum missed 18 3s in a row over the course of 4 video games.

It’s necessary to recollect, nonetheless, that each of those groups have been erratic in these playoffs. Keep in mind when the Warriors misplaced to Memphis by 39 factors?

The Celtics are 7-0 when coming off a loss, which they’ll be doing after they head to San Francisco. Recreation 5 is anybody’s recreation, and it will likely be a decisive one.

“We’ve obtained to play with that very same drive within the fourth quarter that we did, deliver that Monday,” Thompson mentioned. 

This can be a sequence between two groups. However Recreation 4 was Steph Curry’s recreation. He’s a kind of people who find themselves constructed in another way. Who had been placed on this earth to do one thing so singularly nice, so gloriously transcendent that it makes everybody who watches them really feel privileged to take action.

Friday evening was the basketball equal of watching a person carry a automobile off a household along with his naked arms. It was — as Kerr mentioned — gorgeous. And superhuman.  

Maybe Wiggins put it finest.

“All you are able to do is watch,” he mentioned. “When Steph has the ball typically, you simply watch and see what he does.”

Charlotte Wilder is a normal columnist and cohost of “The People’s Sports Podcast” for FOX Sports activities. She’s honored to symbolize the always uncared for Boston space in sports activities media, loves speaking to sports activities followers about their emotions and is happiest consuming a hotdog in a ballpark or nachos in a stadium. Comply with her on Twitter @TheWilderThings.

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