Steph Curry’s Game Seven Performance Proves Championship Poise
After a 9 for 21 field goal shooting performance in Game Six of the first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, Stephen Curry reminded everyone why the Golden State Warriors remain championship contenders.
Playing at a hostile venue in Sacramento, the Warriors limited the home team to only 19 points in the fourth quarter- en route to a 120-100 road victory that booked the Warriors’ second-round date with the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers.
Chef Curry Strikes Again
Following his 28 point night in Game Six, the chef returned to business. In 38 minutes of action, Steph Curry shot 20 for 38 from the field, including seven for 18 from three-point distance, for a massive 50 point total – the highest scoring game for a player in a Game Seven in NBA history. He also finished with eight rebounds, six assists, and a steal.
Following his team’s victory, Curry made sure to tell the Kings faithful to “Light the beam!” as Sacramento’s long awaited return to the postseason is now over after only one round. For the series, Curry averaged 33.7 points, 4.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 37.8% three-point shooting.
Warriors’ Concerns Against the Lakers
While the idea of seeing LeBron James face Steph Curry in the playoffs again has networks drooling, there are legitimate matchup concerns for Steph & Co. in round 2.
For one, playing a full seven-game series will test Golden State against a more rested Lakers team. Sure, the Warriors will have the home-court advantage. However, fatigue will also be a critical factor for the veteran heavy roster of the defending champions.
In their series-clinching Game Seven victory, Steve Kerr played all five starters for at least 31 minutes or more. Kevon Looney, who had 21 rebounds and 11 points, logged 31 minutes. Klay Thompson played 35, followed by Andrew Wiggins’ 37 minutes. Curry and Draymond Green each played 38 minutes.
Fatigue is bound to affect the Warriors’ offense as it almost did in Game Seven against the Kings. Thompson shot a woeful two for ten from the three-point line. Wiggins shot one for five from three. If not for Looney’s 21 rebounds that led to the Warriors getting multiple possessions, the Warriors might be planning their vacations today.
While LeBron and the Lakers are no spring chickens themselves, their depth could help keep them fresh over the course of a second round slugfest. Something that the thin Warriors lineup could struggle with as the series wears on.
Warriors’ Championship Poise Remains a Key
If there’s one thing people forget about Golden State, it’s their championship poise. That poise helped them in the first round. And it will help them against the Lakers.
After losing by 19 points at home in Game Six, the Warriors led by as much as 22 points in Game Seven. Playing in a hostile environment, in a win-or-go-home situation, Golden State controlled the game with only seven turnovers while winning the rebounding battle 55-49.
Game One of the Warriors-Lakers showdown starts on Tuesday and it will have plenty of storylines to cover. For one, it will reignite the rivalry between LeBron James and Steph Curry.
After clashing for 4 consecutive seasons from 2015-2018 in the NBA Finals, the two all world talents are no strangers to one another in the postseason. Whoever wins this series will also get a shot at winning championship number five as both LeBron and Curry are currently dead locked at 4 apiece.
Golden State is currently -155 favourites to advance to the Conference Finals. However, the series feels as wide open as ever as the all California matchup kicks off this week.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Noah Salzman. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.