If Steph Curry is sweating his upcoming NBA Finals matchup with Boston, that wasn’t apparent Tuesday when the two-time MVP was seen moseying through the parking lot of Gateway 101 in East Palo Alto, leaving the PGA Superstore with clubs that appeared to be regripped.
Curry’s love for the links is well-documented, frequently appearing at the American Century Golf Championship (an annual celebrity tournament staged in Lake Tahoe) and even participating in a Korn Ferry event—a professional tour below the PGA—in 2017. Steph’s Celtics counterpart, Marcus Smart, was spotted at a local course (Franklin Park in Dorchester) earlier this week, squeezing in a quick round before leaving for San Francisco, where the Eastern Conference champs will oppose Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night at Chase Center.
It seems Curry and Smart are both using golf to unwind, trying to stay clearheaded amid the pressure of what has been a chaotic postseason. Running on fumes after a stressful series with the top-seeded Heat (fans throughout New England are still trying to catch their breath after barely escaping Sunday night’s Game 7 in Miami), Boston is seeking its first title since 2008, when the Celtics, anchored by Hall-of-Famers Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, vanquished the Lakers in six games. The Celtics would have faced Golden State if they had made it out of the Conference Finals in 2018, but instead squandered a 3-2 series lead to Cleveland.
Considered slight betting favorites (-150 on DraftKings), the Warriors have the benefit of both homecourt advantage and a week’s rest after eliminating Dallas in a lopsided five-game series that finished last Thursday. Boston and Golden State split their season series 1-1, with both regular-season matchups won by the road team.
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