The Warriors shooting guard praises his teammate, who raised his team with 43 points
Kerr assures that the point guard “has never been stronger” despite his foot discomfort in the third game of the series
After the exceptional performance this Friday of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson surrendered to the enormous talent of his teammate from the Golden State Warriors, who won at home against the Boston Celtics (97-107) and thus tied the NBA Finals 2-2. “That man’s heart is incredible. The things he does sometimes we take for granted, but to go out there and put the team on your back… We have to help him on Monday,” Thompson told the media in reference to the fifth game. of the Finals, which will be held in San Francisco (USA). “It’s shocking that he wasn’t in the NBA All-Star team this year, but who cares? Maybe next year,” he quipped.
With 43 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Curry was a torment for the Celtics and gave the Warriors a crucial victory in the search for their fourth ring in the last eight years. Thompson (18 points, 2 rebounds and an assist) assured that this fantastic performance by Curry is the best point guard in a Finals. “This was almost a must-win game. Shoot as efficiently as he did, grab 10 rebounds, get attacked on defense… This guy’s physical condition is second to none. Steph played amazing,” he explained.
Thompson further noted that when a player like Curry is on such a streak, the thing to do is “get out of his way, spread the floor and be ready to shoot if the ball comes to you.” “It doesn’t matter how you shoot or what your stats say. The only thing that matters right now is getting the win. And Steve (Kerr) always reminds us that it doesn’t matter who plays. As long as you win the series, in the end no one It’s going to talk so much about your individual performance,” he developed.
In this sense, Thompson said that this victory for the Warriors was a victory of “guts” and stressed that they showed “a great defense.” “We have to play with the same strength as the last quarter, we have to carry that into Monday,” he closed.
Steve Kerr: “Curry has never been stronger physically”
Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, did not save compliments this Friday for Curry. “He was just awesome,” Kerr told the media after the game. “The physicality (of these Finals) is being pretty impressive. I mean, Boston is obviously the best defense in the league. Huge and powerful at every position. And for Steph, taking that pressure all game and also being able to defend I think it shows you that he has never been physically stronger in his career and that allows him to do what he is doing.”
Heading into tonight’s key matchup in Boston, Kerr said the Warriors brought out their emotional side, played with “desperation” and “aggressiveness” and stepped up their physical game from Game 3. Kerr praised the effort of his entire squad and, in addition to Curry, highlighted a “fantastic” Andrew Wiggins (17 points and 16 rebounds) and a “crucial in everything” Kevon Looney (6 points and 11 rebounds).
The Golden State coach was also asked about Draymond Green, who had a poor shooting performance (2 points on 1 of 7, 9 rebounds and 8 assists) and did not play in some parts of the final quarter. “Like most coaches, if you have a group that’s working well you stick with it. In the last few minutes, we went into something of an attack-defense model with Draymond Green and Jordan Poole alternating,” he explained. “I never want our players to be happy if I take them off the floor. Draymond is incredibly competitive (…). He came back at the end and made great plays (…). It’s a tough series for him in scoring because of the size and Boston’s athleticism, but he still has a huge impact on the game,” he said.
Finally, Kerr spoke of the excellent streak of 27 straight qualifiers that the Warriors have won at least one game in each of their series in the playoffs. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that are going to be in the Hall of Fame one day. Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson) and Draymond (Green). They’re consistent. They’ve been together through that whole period,” he said. “They’re not only talented but also incredibly competitive. That’s what it takes to win on the road. You have to muster the will, the intensity and the passion, and those guys have it,” he said.