After a historic drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics, all Steph Curry could do was reflect on times of greater prosperity. During his post-match press conference, Curry was frank about this unbalanced affair.
“We used to do that to teams,” Curry said (h/t Bobby Manning of CLNS) “The game continued its way, its way, and it seemed like every little play was going its way. You look up and you’re down about 50 points.”
Nothing could go right for Curry, because he could never get off the block. He had just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 0-9 from beyond the arc. It’s one of Curry’s five worst finishes of all time, and he looked visually frustrated being hounded by Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holliday.
It felt like this game was an exorcism for the Boston Celtics. The 2022 final was supposed to be a crowning achievement, but it has been a constant talking point to diminish any success the C’s have had since. Games against Golden State have been a recurring nightmare for fans and players. It was the final boss that punked Boston repeatedly until today, when a twist changed, and the importance of the outcome seemed greater than a one-off contest in March.
What the Warriors dynasty did like no other team in the 2000s was rip the soul out of the other team. It wasn’t just about the three-point barrage or the culmination of incredible talent, but also the relentless arrogance and mafia of thinking they were better than any other team that they faced each other every night.
On March 3, the Celtics were the alpha dogs.
It all started with Steve Kerr, who, probably trying to get his head together, decided to have a game plan that left Jaylen Brown open on the perimeter. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was Draymond Green on coverage, daring Brown to shoot. Even this time last season, a move like this could have worked. Brown often spiraled and got into his own head if things didn’t go as planned. His maturity in using disrespect as fuel to seize the moment was emblematic of someone with a championship pedigree.
The final play was the merciless offensive barrage. It was gas, no break. The Celtics never gave up. Even the bench players played with the intensity of a team that was trailing with a half-century lead. It was the Splash Brothers’ calling card: A string of three-pointers could turn a close game into a blowout in the blink of an eye. The Cs are the first team in history to win three games in a season with a score of 50+, a statistic that easily passes the eye test.
Boston now has the best point differential since, ironically, the 2017 Warriors, which is good enough for fifth in NBA history. They also kept pace with the 2008 Celtics in 60 games at 48-12.
Brown summed it up perfectly.
“That’s a lot of respect for the Golden State Warriors,” Brown prefaced before saying, “But we think it’s our time now.”
It won’t matter until the Larry O’Brien Trophy returns to Boston, but that time seems closer than ever.
