The Boston Celtics are desperately looking for new and inventive ways to slow down Steph Curry. With the NBA Finals currently tied 2-2 heading into a pivotal Game 5, Boston is hoping to figure something out fast. Now, before we dive into some of the quotes from the players, we have to cover what Steph just did in Game 4.
He was able to drop 43 points in the 10-point Golden State Warriors victory. He shot 14 for 26 from the field including seven three pointers and 10 rebounds. It didn’t really seem to matter where he was a on the court. It felt like he contributed to every single positive Warriors play throughout the night. Plus, when you have a guy on the opposing team that is on fire like he was, it just demoralizes you as a unit.
Celtics Have A Plan For Curry
The Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has a bit of a plan in mind to get things halted for Curry. He wants to not only change up the defenses that he is showing Steph, but also play more physical to shake him up a bit. Part of that goal is allowing his guards to pressure Steph whenever they feel like it. This means that we are likely to see him get defended right when he crosses the half court line. With other big men standing right behind to give the primary defender some extra help. As Udoka said himself, “Obviously, the range extends the floor some. Some of the shots that he’s hitting are only shots that he can hit and have been highly contested. He’s hit a few of those.”
Don’t worry though, Udoka isn’t the only person who believes that his team will adjust and respond to the masterful 43-point performance. Boston star forward Jaylen Brown was in awe of the performance in his post-game interview. He said, “Steph Curry is pretty good, if you guys haven’t noticed. He can shoot the ball unbelievably. Even watching it, playing against it and even in the finals, I feel like he’s taking it up a notch a little bit. He had a hell of a performance in Game 4, and we have to respond to that.”
Now saying it is much harder than actually doing it. Curry is one of the most talented scorers that we have ever seen in this league. Double teaming him and throwing extra attention towards him sounds good in theory, but the team isn’t just him.
Klay Thompson is another guy that Boston is forced to worry about behind the three-point line. Not to mention Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins who have stepped up offensively time and time again. The Celtics are in a tricky position, but they are tied in this series for a reason. They must stick to their game plan and not stray too far from what has been working. If they can do that moving forward, then we could very well see them win an NBA Championship.