Extent of Raptors' defensive focus on Steph Curry exemplified by photo

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They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

If that's the case, you can save a lot of time by viewing the Raptors' effective defensive strategy against Steph Curry, rather than reading about it.

See for yourself:

Steph Curry might be 'seeing red' after missing the potential game-winning shot in Game 6 on Thursday night, but then again, he was seeing it all series long.

With Kevin Durant missing all but 10 minutes of the series, the Raptors were able to throw more defensive attention Curry's way. Specifically during the times when Klay Thompson was also off the court, whether due to rest or injury, Toronto could double down.

Early in the series, Curry referred to the Raptors' defensive tactics as "janky," but in the end, it was simply smart. Without Durant and Thompson, Toronto knew the Warriors didn't have enough firepower to overcome the Raptors' team attack if they were able to get the ball out of Curry's hands, which they did, time and again. Trying to dribble out of a triple team is rarely a wise choice, so in making the "smart" play, Curry was frequently playing right into Toronto's strategy, not that he really had any choice.

It was on Curry's teammates to knock down the wide open shots that resulted from that strategy, and simply put, they didn't. Not often enough.

That's not pointing the finger. It's just what happened. The Raptors employed the strategy best suited to defeat the team that was on the court opposite them.

Of course, in missing that potential game-winning shot and being on the losing side of the Finals, blabbermouth pundits are already piling on Curry, arguing he in some way 'choked' without even considering the context within which his performance came.

And, that's just a downright lazy, uninformed and inaccurate argument to begin with.

[RELATED: Report: Warriors still plan to offer KD, Klay max contracts]

Even if Durant and Thompson re-sign with Golden State, both are expected to miss the majority, if not all of, next season, after suffering major injuries in the last two games of the Finals. That likely means plenty more "janky" defenses headed Curry's direction, and it's on the Warriors to find a way to either beat or deter them.

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