BOSTON – Stephen Curry was so spectacular within the Warriors’ 107-97 win over the Celtics Friday night time that an “M-V-P” chant broke out at TD Backyard when he shot free throws within the sport’s ultimate 10 seconds.
Curry put to relaxation any concern about his well being from the second he stepped on the courtroom as he placed on a classic exhibiting in Sport 4 of the NBA Finals — scoring 43 factors and grabbing 10 rebounds — as he willed the Warriors to a victory to even the collection earlier than it returns to the West Coast.
Curry outscored the remainder of the Warriors’ starters by three factors and transformed on seven of his 14 pictures from past the arc in what was his third highest postseason scoring output in his profession.
Curry doesn’t rank his playoff performances.
“Simply win,” he mentioned after the win.
However Klay Thompson, who’s performed 131 playoff video games alongside Curry, mentioned his most up-to-date outing may take the highest spot of Curry’s postseason portfolio.
“In all probability No. 1,” Thompson mentioned. “Steph performed unbelievable.”
The lead flipped back-and-forth within the fourth quarter earlier than the Warriors, with the assistance of a 10-0 run led by Curry and Thompson, pulled away for good. Thompson scored 10 of his 18 factors within the fourth quarter.
Curry was once more the very best participant on the courtroom, regardless of straining his foot whereas scrambling for a unfastened ball in Sport 3. The Celtics smothered Curry with double groups however he nonetheless discovered a technique to rating and make performs.
“Simply gorgeous,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned of Curry, a high candidate for Finals MVP. “The physicality out there may be fairly dramatic. Boston’s acquired clearly [the] greatest protection within the league — big and highly effective at each place, and for Steph to take that sort of stress all sport lengthy and nonetheless be capable of defend on the different finish when they're coming at him reveals you, I believe that is the strongest bodily he’s ever been in his profession, and it’s permitting him to do what he’s doing.”
With the Warriors taking part in from behind within the collection for the second time, Kerr opted to go small in the beginning, inserting Otto Porter Jr. in for Kevon Looney as a technique to unfold the ground.
However the Warriors appeared out of sync within the first three minutes of the sport earlier than a fiery Curry helped get the group going.
After sinking back-to-back 3-pointers close to the top of the primary quarter, which compelled Boston coach Ime Udoka to name a timeout, Curry yelled at Celtics followers earlier than heading to his group’s huddle. He stored that very same animated power all through the sport, pumping his fists and hitting his chest.
“He wasn’t letting us lose, that’s what it boils right down to,” Draymond Inexperienced mentioned. “You hear all of the noise for a day or so, and I may inform in his demeanor the final couple days, even after Sport 3, that he was going to come back out with that sort of fireside. And he did, and we had been all in a position to comply with it.”
Jordan Poole, who has struggled on this collection save for the second half of Sport 2, discovered his offensive rhythm as he helped carry the Warriors at the start of the second quarter when Curry was on the bench. Poole hit back-to-back pictures to open the second on a 5-0 run.
Poole completed with 14 factors off the bench.
After the Warriors had been bullied within the inside by the Celtics in Sport 3, Golden State flipped the script Friday, outscoring Boston 38-32 within the paint and 19-12 on second-chance alternatives.
Andrew Wiggins, who grabbed a career-high 16 boards, and Looney, who added 11, helped Golden State to a 55-42 rebounding edge.
Inexperienced once more performed like a shell of his former self whereas the house crowd showered him with boos. In 32 minutes, he completed with eight rebounds and eight assists whereas going 1-for-7 from the sphere for 2 factors.
Kerr even pulled Inexperienced for a stretch of the fourth quarter, opting to go with out him for practically 4 minutes. It labored, as Golden State turned a four-point deficit right into a three-point lead with him off the ground.
“I’m undoubtedly by no means thrilled popping out of the sport with seven minutes to go within the fourth quarter in a must-win sport,” Inexperienced mentioned. “However, on the finish of the day, if that’s what Coach decides, you then roll with it.”
Jayson Tatum completed with 23 factors, Jaylen Brown had 21 and Marcus Sensible added 18. Robert Williams III, who’s been taking part in via a left knee damage, had 12 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Curry, Inexperienced and Thompson have now received a street sport in 27 consecutive playoff collection, extending an NBA file that dates again to 2013.
The Warriors and Celtics are twisted up at 2-2 because the best-of-seven collection shifts again to San Francisco, with Sport 5 on Monday.
The Warriors have been practically unbeatable this postseason at Chase Middle, the place they possess a 10-1 playoff file. Their one dwelling loss got here by the hands of the Celtics in Sport 1.