Steph Curry showcased his competitive fire this Friday, two days after he silenced concerns about a foot issue. He exploded for 43 points and 10 rebounds, guiding the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, evening the NBA Finals series at 2-2. This performance kept the series alive and preserved the Warriors’ control of home court at Chase Center should the series extend further. The coming chapters will determine whether the action heads back to San Francisco for another tilt or stays in Boston for a decisive moment. If the matchup ends in a tie, the Warriors would still have a chance to clinch a championship at home in eight years. (ESPN)
Finishing the night with 43 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Curry carried the offense while Stephen Thompson and Andrew Wiggins contributed, with Thompson adding 18 points and Wiggins pulling down 16 rebounds to go with 17 points. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, while Jaylen Brown posted 21 points and 6 rebounds, and Marcus Smart logged 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Al Horford contributed 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Boston. (ESPN)
Equality in the Garden
If Boston started Game 3 strong, building an 18-point lead in the second quarter, the two teams battled to stay in the contest rather than crown a clear winner. Coach Steve Kerr sent Otto Porter Jr. into the rotation, but the Saint Louis product managed only two points, one rebound and one assist in fourteen minutes. Curry quickly showed that his rhythm was intact, pacing the Warriors with 12 points in the opening period and 19 at halftime. (ESPN)
Curry Warns…
He flashed relentless scoring, finishing 23-18 from three-point range and going 6-12 from long range. Andrew Wiggins added 11 points as the Warriors favored the paint for damage. The team converted 18 of 49 attempts in the first half, testing the Celtics who wrestled with turnovers and missteps. Boston was sloppy early, scoring just 10 points through the first two quarters, yet managed to stay within striking distance. Tatum and Brown combined for 44 of Boston’s 49 by halftime, leaving Udoka’s squad down by five points. The Warriors, disciplined in pressuring turnovers throughout the series, piled up 33 points off 18 Celtics miscues in Game 2, a reminder of the home team’s edge in transition. (ESPN)
… and finish
In the third period, Curry intensified his assault. He converted his midrange opportunities and splashed a sequence of threes that stretched the margin and frustrated Boston’s defense. The Celtics managed to disrupt some plays, but Curry’s drive and shooting temperature proved too much. Boston trimmed the deficit but could not seize control, marking another tough quarter for Udoka’s group. (ESPN)
Brown struggled to score early in the third but found a rhythm late in the fourth, driving the lane and drawing fouls to keep Boston within reach. Still, he could not replicate the late heroics needed to topple Curry on this night. With Thompson providing spacing and Poole and Green unavailable, Curry authored a defining late stretch, sinking consecutive threes to seal a 94-100 line with 1:42 remaining as Golden State held on. (ESPN)
A late surge from Horford helped pull Boston within three, but the Celtics could not sustain the push and could not overcome Curry’s 43-point explosion, which had the Barclays Garden crowd roaring. The performance earned Curry a standing ovation and the crowd’s MVP designation for his night in the Garden. (ESPN)