Stephen “chief” Curry, three stars in the NBA guide, wants to spice up the final: his exceptional performance sprinkled with 43 points, got the better of Boston (107-97), Friday in a long boiling then extinguished TD Garden, to equalize at two wins everywhere.
Since 2013, the Warriors have had 26 consecutive play-off series in which they have managed to win at least one away game. This match N.4 forced them to perpetuate this good habit, because in the event of a setback, the Celtics would have led 3-1 and would have put their backs to the wall.
So as the great players know how to be there for the most important matches, Curry, the eldest of the “Splash Brothers”, splashed him with all his class. He returned 14 shots out of 26 attempted, including 7/14 from behind the arc. He who already has three champion rings (2015, 2017, 2018), without having ever been MVP of one of these finals won, is on a mission and has almost single-handedly carried his team.
The match, intense and exhilarating throughout, was far from over, when LeBron James tweeted: “The Chief is BLAST!!!”. The “King”, as a connoisseur for having experienced this type of crazy evening, especially when he overthrew these same Warriors in 2016 following being led 3-1 with Cleveland, must have suspected the outcome.
– “It is enormous” –
It was however long to take shape until the last minutes of the fourth quarter, the one that usually smiles at the Celtics since the start of the play-offs. But their address was less foliochonne in this period (7/21) than it was in the previous three.
And in the wake of Curry, decidedly in the oven and in the mill (10 rebounds, 4 assists), his “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson proved to be invaluable by scoring 8 of his 18 points (7/17). Andrew Wiggins managed a huge job inside (17 pts, 16 rebounds) and Draymond Green responded with his fighting qualities (9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 interceptions), despite a calamitous address in attack (1/7 , 2 pts) and always the same permanent insults from Celtics fans.
“We finally understood in the fourth quarter that we can put some good shots and execute our game well. It’s crazy because I still think we can play a little bit better. But getting an away win and recover the home advantage, it’s huge, huge for this group”, commented the hero of the evening.
A hero who was the subject of many questions before this 4th game, following hurting his left leg during the defeat conceded 48 hours earlier (116-100). Not only did he not play diminished, but he showed no apprehension and sent quite a message to the Celtics.
– “Just dazzling” –
“What he did was just dazzling. Boston has the best defense in the league. never been so physically strong. Which allows him to do what he does”, synthesized his trainer Steve Kerr.
Side Celtics, the trio Jayson Tatum (23 pts, 11 rebounds, 6 assists), Jaylen Brown (21 pts, 6 rebounds) and Marcus Smart (18 pts, 5 assists) did not deserve. And they were in the lead (94-90) five minutes from time, that is to say at the start of money-time, without being able to press harder.
What will have betrayed them is the long-range address, which went from 8/14 in the first period to 7/24 in the second. Golden State also won the battle in the paint (38-32) and rebounds (55-42).
“The road might have been easier, obviously, if we had won tonight. But that’s how it is. We’re 2-2 now. We know we can do it. We’ve done it before. He have to keep your head up and go for a victory there”, called the coach of C’s Ime Udoka
Both teams have 72 hours to rest, before an N.5 match which promises to be hot on Monday in San Francisco. Because the one who wins will only be one victory away from the title.
