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Heading into Recreation 5, Stephen Curry had made a three-pointer in each single playoff recreation he had ever performed in. That’s 132 straight. The second-longest streak is held by Klay Thompson with 54.
The Boston Celtics held Curry to an 0-for-9 efficiency from three-point vary, snapping his streak. His 9 tried threes are probably the most he’s ever taken with out a make. Boston performed traditionally nice protection in opposition to one of the best shooter to ever grace the court docket.
They usually wasted it.
They wasted an opportunity to go up 3-2 within the NBA Finals with the collection heading again to Boston.
They wasted a golden alternative.
Clearly, a part of it was merely Curry having a chilly night time, however the Celtics pressured him extra in Recreation 5 than some other recreation up to now this collection. Boston chased Curry round all night time lengthy, and regardless of who was guarding him, the aim was easy: don’t let him contact the ball. And whereas they have been in a position to successfully contest Curry’s pictures, it was the ball denial that stood out probably the most.
Everybody that ended up on Curry face-guarded him. Their solely concern was ensuring that he didn’t get his palms on the basketball. Have a look at Al Horford right here. He’s barely being attentive to the remainder of the court docket. He’s solely anxious about Curry.
Simply look how tightly Marcus Good covers Curry on this play. He’s bodying Curry on the out-of-bounds line, and it takes the Golden State Warriors level guard out of the play fully.
Curry is so nice at shifting off the ball, that Boston barely had time to do something however cowl him. Good isn’t even trying on the play on this possession as soon as Curry passes the ball. His again is turned to the remainder of the court docket as he’s decided to cease Curry from relocating.
Boston’s ball-denial defensive plan resulted in Curry hardly ever discovering area to work with, and when he did, the Celtics have been proper there to contest his shot.
This was Curry’s first shot try of the sport. He went roughly 10 minutes with out even getting a shot up. And when he did, it was a contested three in transition. Derrick White obtained out properly past the three-point line and put a hand in his face.
Curry didn’t even sniff the three-point line in Recreation 5. Each single three he took was no less than 25-feet away from the basket, and three of the 9 three-point makes an attempt have been over 30-feet out. Which means six of Curry’s threes have been no less than a foot behind the three-point line and three of them have been no less than six toes behind it.
In each different recreation this collection, Curry has recorded no less than 5 three-pointers. On Monday night time, that quantity dropped to zero. He went from setting the report for many Finals video games in a row with no less than 5 threes to having his personal report snapped by Boston’s suffocating protection.
But it surely didn’t matter.
The Celtics’ personal offensive woes prevented them from reaping the rewards of their very own success. As soon as once more, Boston obtained in their very own means and whereas they might have been one of the best defensive staff within the NBA this 12 months, replicating the extent of success that they had guarding Curry in Recreation 5 will likely be a near-impossible activity.
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