That had to be a tough flight home for the Boston Celtics. Steph Curry drew a blank from the three point area in nine attempts and lost by 10 to face a 3-2 deficit in the NBA Finals.
The stats say the team who wins Game 5 goes on to win the championship around 80 percent of the time.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but let me give it a go.
CURRY. Everybody’s talking about how Curry broke his own record of 233 consecutive games with a three point shot made.
When you are anointed the best shooter the game has ever seen, of course everybody will talk about how you’re shooting. But shooting aside, I actually thought he played a pretty decent game.
He had eight assists, three rebounds and only had one turnover which is crucial for a guy who has the ball most of the time for his team. But almost everyone is overlooking the fact that he was able to make plays for his teammates on account alone of the attention he gets.
Because the defense has to respect Curry when he has the ball, it opens up a lot of scoring opportunities for his teammates. Ergo, you had Andrew Wiggins playing the best game of his career so far, contributing 26 points and 13 rebounds despite drawing a blank from the three-point area himself, going 0-6.
That also leaves Klay open for his deadly set shots and he was able to drain five of 11 from three-point range.
BOSTON. What struck me as the difference between the two teams though was how they reacted under pressure. The Celtics wilted in the fourth despite being able to pump up a spirited rally in the third.
I thought they seemed tight and mechanical. In contrast, the Warriors were fluid and loose, despite Curry having a bad shooting night.
Jayson Tatum has to play better in these two remaining games, especially in the fourth quarter. He is the team’s best player and they can’t afford him shooting air balls and missing free throws. He is just averaging a measly 3.2 points in the fourth quarter in this series.
IQ. Bottom line for me is basketball IQ. The Warriors on account of their championship pedigree have a better grasp of the game under pressure and exhibit better poise. The Celtics are taller, younger and maybe more talented, but basketball IQ is a sum of all that and more.
It’s all about experience, on court generalship and teamwork. I think the Celtics can bounce back in Game 6, but the Warriors will win in 7.
LAST ROUND. It’s on two dear friends Ditdit and Janet Gorne who recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary and Janet’s birthday too. Cheers, guys!