When Steph Curry catches the ball in transition and spots up for a 3-pointer, the whole arena knows what’s happening next.
The Warriors star, considered hands-down the greatest shooter of all time, will let it fly, and more often than not it will drop through the net as he, his teammates, and the Chase Center crowd goes nuts.
It looked like that is what was going to happen midway through the fourth quarter in the Warriors’ 104-94 win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, as Klay Thompson passed to his fellow Splash Brother on the wing in a two-on-one opportunity with the Warriors leading 87-78. But instead of hoisting the shot, Curry pump-faked, giving Celtics guard Marcus Smart a chance to recover. Curry ended up missing a mid-range jumper later in the possession after he turned down the three.
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The pump fake didn’t do much to deceive Smart, but it did surprise his teammate Jordan Poole, who had already started dancing in anticipation of a Steph triple from his spot on the bench. Poole even scratched his head trying to play it off after Curry didn’t shoot.
The play was enigmatic of Curry’s rough shooting night on Monday, as the superstar shockingly went 0-for-9 from distance, breaking his NBA record of 233 consecutive games (regular and postseason) with a 3-pointer. Curry’s cold night was even more surprising given it came on the heels of a red-hot stretch to start the first four games of the Finals, including a 43-point masterpiece in Game 4.
Curry finished 7-of-22 from the field for 16 points, but still dished out eight assists, only committed one turnover and played sturdy defense to help the Warriors take a three-games-to-two lead in the best-of-seven series. Even with an off-night, he most certainly will win his first Finals MVP award if the Warriors are able to win their fourth championship in eight seasons with a win on Thursday in Game 6 or Sunday in a potential Game 7.
Golden State Warriors
And you can bet that Poole will keep dancing in anticipation with every backbreaking Steph 3-point attempt along the way.