BOSTON – For two days, Golden State forward Tremond Green saw it on his teammate Stephen Curry. Playing fire curry was not always visible to outsiders, but Green felt it boiling inside.
Their team lost 2-1 in the NBA Final, and Carrie is not going to let them lose Game 4.
Everyone else on Friday night saw that feeling.
After one of his two first-quarter 3-pointers, Charcoal yelled at a crowd of Boston Celtics fans who came just before the hunt for him and his teammates. One of the greatest games of his glorious life had to go a long way in the game, but he screamed to send a message.
“It felt like we had to let everyone know we were here tonight,” Carrie said.
He added: “You may like it very badly, you’ll get in your own way a little bit, and everyone feels a little pressure and it can go the opposite way. We wanted to try to use it in a positive direction to start the game.
Ahead of a hostile meeting in Boston on Friday night, Golden State drew its series with the Celtics 2-2 and regained the home-court advantage. Golden State won 107-97.
Curry scored 43 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the third Warriors player to score at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in the NBA Final; Rick Barry did just that in 1967, and Kevin Durant did it in 2018. Curry, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the only players aged 34 and over who have scored 40 or more points in the NBA Final.
As Golden State extended its presence in the final minutes of Game 4, Celtics fans began to leave. 19.1 seconds before the end of the game, when Curry was on the free-throw line, he heard the slogan “MVP” on the top floor of the arena.
The series returns to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday, followed by Game 6 in Boston on Thursday.
The crowd cheered heartily as the Golden State players began their warm-up warm-ups.
When Clay appeared on Thompson’s court an hour before the game, a group of fans in the lower bowl shouted at him. He applauded them with his hands and encouraged them to speak louder. After a few minutes the green emerged and the booze exploded even louder. Two nights ago, Thompson criticized the crowd for chanting obscenely in green.
Golden State entered the Celtics game with the aspirations of handing over its first setback losses in this year’s playoffs. Prior to Friday’s game, Golden State won all five of their subsequent defeats this season.
But Boston understood the tight grip on a three-set lead that would make them better in seven series.
“We understand we have a chance to do something better and put a little pressure tonight,” Celtics coach Ime Utoga said before the game.
The Celtics gained confidence from the way they played in the last game.
“We have to reflect on what we did in Game 3,” Celtic guard Marcus Smart said Thursday. “We reduced our revenue. We reduced our second chance points, attack rebounds. We controlled the game we wanted to play.
For the first time in the series at Golden State Game 4 made a change to its starting lineup, replacing Kevon Looney with Otto Porter Jr.
The playoffs this season are characterized by blowouts, and the Celtics have played in many, including three that came during the finals. Boston won Game 1 by 12 points, lost game 19 by 2 and won game 3 by 16.
But initially, Game 4 promised to be a tight match that would be enjoyable until the end.
Curry and Boston’s Jason Todd each scored 12 points in the first quarter.
“Everyone was emotional tonight,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “At 2-1, we had to come out with some disbelief and more fitness than we showed in Game 3. So it is a sense of aggression and passion on a group level. It started from the starting point.
“Steff usually doesn’t show much emotion, but a night like tonight guarantees it.”
Tatum ended the first quarter by sending the ball into the paint to Robert Williams III, who bowled it to Grant Williams for 3 in the corner. Boston took a 28-27 lead at 3 for Grand Williams.
At half time, the lead changed hands six times and the score was tied five times.
Celtics defender Jaylan Brown’s turn to shine in the second quarter. He scored 10 points and overtook Boston Golden State by nine points while he was on the court that quarter.
Boston extended its lead to 54-49 at the break.
But Golden State does not go quietly, especially when curry is not available. He had 33 points in the fourth quarter and 14 in the third quarter.
The match ended in a tie for 86 runs in 8 minutes.
Thompson made his fourth mistake of 5:33. The crowd chanted the same obscene slogan they had directed at Green on Game 3, but changed “Tremond” to “Clay”. About a minute later, Thompson’s 3-pointer Golden State took the lead 95-94.
Boston scored only once in the final five minutes of the match.
After Game 3, there was some doubt as to whether Curry would get to Game 4 because he injured his leg in a pile while fighting for a loose ball. Carrie was allowed to play in the Golden State Shootout on Friday morning.
After Curry’s performance on Friday night, the second highest-scoring final of his career, the first question Kerry was asked at a post-game press conference was how he thought Carrie’s leg had risen. Kerr laughed.
“I think he was really working there,” Kerr joked. “He really struggled.”
Thompson was also first asked about curry when he took to the post-game stage.
“That man’s heart is incredible,” Thompson said. “You know, we take things he’s normally doing from time to time, but he’s got to go there and put us on his back, that is, Monday to help him. Aha.”
