His second-to-last field goal, a floating runner from the free-throw line, produced audible gasps all around Causeway Street.įalling behind 3-1 wouldn’t have been a death sentence, but everyone could see what was coming if the Warriors didn’t throw some cold water on a Celtics team drunk on confidence - a spot Curry and the Warriors have been in and taken the business end of a bad Finals loss. In previous years, Curry’s emotions could’ve been perceived as delightful arrogance, but in these NBA Finals, Curry’s actions were of defiance. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry celebrates against the Boston Celtics during Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston on June 10, 2022. Instead, it was the smallest member of the Warriors’ first five who preened and flexed, standing up to the Celtics. The response was expected to come from Green, he the master of force and emotion. The Celtics exerted so much force in Game 3’s decisive win, it was expected they would treat the opportunity as a gift and apply more pressure on a hobbled Curry and doubting Draymond Green. It was arguably Curry’s best NBA Finals game, even though the numbers say he has slightly slipped from his highest highs.īut it was his most desperate and determined performance - 43 points, 10 rebounds, four assists in a series-turning 107-97 Game 4 win at TD Garden. “That fire was me just trying to show that we are here tonight,” Curry said. He sprinted back, picked a face in the crowd and let an adrenaline-fueled release from his lungs after releasing something picture-perfect from his fingertips. It wasn’t the defining play of the game, one that seesawed for the next hour and a half, but Stephen Curry felt it was necessary to make an early statement to Boston fans, a message that reverberated some 25 feet to his right, to the Celtics bench. The night demanded not just precision and concentration, but an extra something only a special few can summon, particularly in environments where hostility is as intense from the stands as the determined opponent. The Boston Celtics have been growing in confidence over the past several days, understanding how close they are to breaking through and asserting a competitive arrogance that borders on champion-like. More than the usual excellence was required from the Golden State Warriors, more than just winning a road game for the 27th straight series.
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