Nobody has had more front row seats for Stephen Curry’s most memorable crunch-time heroics in the past decade than Steve Kerr. The Golden State Warriors’ longtime head coach has watched Curry win four championships, two MVPs and one Finals MVP, the latter of which included the signature performance of his legendary career to date.
Rob Gronkowski on Nick Sirianni – Up & Adams
Rob Gronkowski on Nick Sirianni – Up & Adams
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The opponent in Curry’s instant-classic Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals? The Boston Celtics, playing at home in front of a rabid crowd while holding a 2-1 lead with the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the line. Just like the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s epic, though, the Celtics simply had no answer for Curry back then, helplessly victim to his 43-point, series-saving masterpiece.
Curry wasn’t quite that singularly dominant throughout Golden State’s thrilling 132-126 win over Boston at Chase Center. He saved his best for when it mattered most, though, spearheading the Dubs’ comeback with a 13-point fourth quarter then sealing their best victory of the season with a ridiculous three-pointer late in the extra session that was so difficult and splashed through so perfectly it was hard to believe.
Kerr, though, wasn’t surprised by Curry’s clutch “magic.” Like members of Dub Nation across the globe, he even knew it was coming.
“Nothing shocks me with Steph,” Kerr said after the game, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “That shot was insane. The catch-and-shoot, the arc. But I fully expected it to go in and I think all of our fans did, too. The guy’s magical. You can’t explain it. That’s just the type of stuff he does.”
Steph Curry’s all-time triple sends Warriors on much-needed winning streak
Warriors’ Stephen Curry night night celebration
Curry finished the game with 33 points, three rebounds and six assists on 11-of-21 overall and 6-of-10 from deep. His big night comes on the heels of the greatest shooter ever failing to hit a single three-pointer in his team’s hard-fought road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, the first time in a league-record 268 games he didn’t connect on a long ball.
The only thing sweeter for Steph Curry than following up that disappointment with Tuesday’s triumph? It marked the Warriors’ third straight win, a much-needed streak that comes just days after they were left “emotionally spent’ by Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension amid sustained team-wide struggles to start 2023-24.
Klay Thompson, clearly, has shaken off the rust that dogged him over the first six weeks of the season. He scored 24 points and hit six threes against Boston, the fourth consecutive game he’s reached that point threshold while draining at least four triples. Jonathan Kuminga continued his strong recent play as a starter, while rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis earned himself more minutes going forward with another energetic, bouncy performance on both sides of the ball.
Golden State lost Brandin Podziemski to a back injury just before halftime, and Andrew Wiggins—who the rookie replaced as a starter last week—reverted back to his worst finishing labors on Tuesday after his extremely encouraging play in Portland. But the Warriors are no doubt finally trending the right direction, with only more opportunities to rise up the tightly packed Western Conference standings from here. Nine of their next 10 games are at home, their only trip outside of San Francisco before January 12th a Christmas tilt with the defending-champion Denver Nuggets.
Golden State isn’t going anywhere without Green staying on the floor and playing near his realistic peak. This team isn’t a true contender without Wiggins bouncing back in a major way, either. Wins are what the Warriors really need right now, though, and—thanks largely to Curry’s heroics—all indications point to more coming over a crucial next few weeks.
