Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry didn't express concern about the foot injury he suffered in the team's loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals last Wednesday. And considering how he performed under pressure in Game 4, just two days later, there's little reason for either team to believe Curry's issue will linger for the remainder of the championship series.
On the brink of facing an ominous 3-1 series deficit, Curry willed Golden State to a clutch road win over the Celtics on Friday inside TD Garden, as he scored 43 points with 10 rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes. According to ESPN, he became the second-oldest player in history to record a 40-10 Finals game, behind only LeBron James in 2020. He's also recorded 80-plus three-pointers in a single postseason for the fifth time in his illustrious career.
"What I think we've done with Steph Curry is, we've put him in this box, where we've said, 'He's the greatest shooter of all-time,'" NBA on TNT reporter Jared Greenberg told the Reiter Than You show on Monday. "There's nothing wrong with that -- it's not even an argument anymore. But, that's not all he is. I think we've limited him to being some sort of specialist -- a guy who's set the tone for this generation of basketball we're seeing...
"But what I don't think people understand is, the reason why this generation is doing what it's doing, is because of Steph Curry. It's not just the shooting. If you truly watch him, you then appreciate what he does, how selfless he is. The closest star -- and I got this from Steve Kerr -- that compares to Curry, in terms of his selflessness, is Tim Duncan... He's a great playmaker and a great teammate... So, I think the term for him is, 'underappreciated.'"
Golden State, which earned the West's third seed with a 53-29 record, will play Game 5 against Boston on Monday at Chase Center, with tip-off slated for 9:00 ET. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Warriors currently have a 34-percent chance to capture their fourth title since 2015. And if the Celtics hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, it'll be their NBA-record 18th in history.
The entire NBA conversation between Greenberg and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.