SAN FRANCISCO — The dam had to break sometime. It always seems to crack for the Dubs.
Against a talented and deep squad like the Celtics, the Warriors were expecting a slog of a battle in the NBA Finals. Through the first six quarters of the series, Golden State found itself locked in the quagmire.
Then the third quarter happened on Sunday night. And Steph happened.
Warriors superstar Steph Curry took over the game after halftime and turned the final period into garbage time, as Golden State used a dominant third quarter to take a 107-88 win to even the series at 1-1.
Boston made the Finals into a battle of attrition, but finally, the Warriors were able to break through. In the game-swaying third they outscored the Celtics 35-14 and held Boston to just 4-of-17 shooting.
Sure, Curry led all scorers in the frame with 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 3-of-6 from the field. But it was his defense that had the Dubs talking after the game.
“Steph is a two-way player,” said Warriors defensive ace Gary Payton II.
As Dieter Kurtenbach of the Bay Area News Group noted, Curry helped stymie the Celtics on a couple of key possessions in the third quarter.
Curry’s offensive genius is easy for basketball fans to see, but his strides on defense over the years are also worth noting. He has transformed his body significantly since entering the league as a lanky shooter who looked fresh off the varsity high school bus. At the age of 34, Curry has more strength but still has the trademark conditioning that makes him such a generational force.
“Steph was breathtaking in that quarter,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Not just the shot making but the defensive effort. He just doesn't get enough credit for his level of conditioning, physicality and defense.”
Green has been touting Curry’s defense for the past couple seasons in particular.
“Teams used to try to call him into every action, and just try to pick on him," Green said. "That doesn't work anymore. … I've spoke about how much stronger he is. He's able to hold his ground, so you're not able to bump him off his spot, and that's been huge for us. I'm not shocked he's playing that type of defense.”
As for Steph himself, he said defense has been an area of focus since his rookie year. Thirteen years later and we’re talking about more than just his shooting stroke.
“It's always been a point of emphasis,” Curry said. “Just better at it now.”
In all, the Celtics were held to a playoff-low 88 points on 37.5 percent shooting.
That’s not to say Steph’s splashing ability isn’t still mesmerizing. He went 5-of-12 from 3-point land en route to 29 points, following up his 34-point performance in Game 1.
Draymond did his thing. Steph did his.
Now the Warriors will head to Boston with the series split at 1-1.
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