The Warriors dug themselves into a 2-1 hole after an embarrassing Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, but there is one man known to put on a cape and step up for his team when their backs are against the wall.
As the defending champions look to redeem themselves in Game 4 on Monday at Crypto.com Arena, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was asked who will need to have a bigger performance in the pivotal matchup of the Western Conference semifinals -- Steph Curry or Anthony Davis?
“I think it’s Steph Curry,” Smith responded on “First Take” on Monday morning. “I think this season potentially is on the line [for the Warriors]. Now I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Golden State overcoming a 3-1 deficit, but it would be highly unlikely that they would be able to pull that off. … But it comes down to Steph. And the reason why is because he’s not just the superstar that can drop 50 [points] on you in a Game 7. He’s not just the greatest shooter that God ever created. He’s not just those things.
“He’s one of those dudes that galvanize the troops around him. When he gets going, they feed off of him in ways that most stars don’t have people feeding off of them. In the case of Steph Curry, for some reason for the most part, when he explodes, the team follows suit. And I think in LA tonight at Crypyo.com Arena with LeBron James lurking, with AD lurking, with D’Angelo Russell lurking, with [Jared] Vanderbilt ready to defend and the personnel that [the Lakers] have, it’s going to take a Herculean performance from Steph Curry in order to pull out the win tonight.”
The good news for the Warriors? That’s not out of reach for Curry.
Just over a week ago, Curry dropped 50 points on the Sacramento Kings in Golden State’s Game 7 win in the first round of the playoffs -- the most points ever scored in a Game 7 in NBA history.
Golden State Warriors
Two games later, Curry showcased how he can help lead his team to victory without a 50-piece explosion. The reigning NBA Finals MVP finished Game 2 vs. the Lakers with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from behind the arc, 12 assists, four rebounds and one steal in 30 minutes. It was pure and classic “point God” Steph.
After proving the different ways Curry can help his team win, Smith believes the 35-year-old guard will need to complete a masterpiece for the Warriors to win.
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Curry is averaging 30.6 points on 48.0 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range thus far in the playoffs, and in three games vs. the Lakers this series is averaging 23.3 points on 45.6 percent shooting from the field and 46.4 percent from behind the arc in 33.0 minutes.
Fifty-point games aren’t just pulled out of a hat, but when it’s Curry, nothing is off-limits.