For his final blow, Stephen Curry used a screen from Draymond Green to get Al Horford onto him. Way out by the half-court line, Curry leaned over and dribbled, the Boston Celtics center on his hip, waiting for space to clear out.
Horford’s been on this island before. Curry suddenly took off, easily blowing past Horford as the clock dipped below 50 seconds. Boston worked hard to take away his 3-pointer. But Curry’s drives were doing damage. Derrick White, the stellar Celtics guard, left his man to cut off Curry in the paint. The whole time, Jayson Tatum stood on the left wing watching Curry. Rightfully so. The Golden State Warriors were up four and needed a basket to seal the win. This is the time to focus on Curry.
Tatum had seen this movie before. What Tatum didn’t see was the man he was defending drifting along the sidelines. Curry’s ninth assist was easy. Buddy Hield was wide-open on the right wing. Ball game. “BUDDY HIELD CLUTCH!!!!”
This assuredly felt like a familiar fright to Boston fans. Curry is terrorizing their team. The Celtics’ capture of the banner he denied them in 2022 has taken away some of his edge. Still, Curry taunts the Celtics in a special way, the latest occasion being a 118-112 Warriors win Wednesday at TD Garden.
Those who disparage the culinary skills of a man’s wife earn themselves a nemesis. In that sense, Boston was the perfect foe in the Warriors’ first “real” game against a truly elite opponent. Their 6-1 start, surprising as it was, lacked the gravitas of a big win.
But Wednesday night, Curry delivered one to his cohorts. His 27 points were typical. More important was his closing of a game that validated the Warriors’ start to the season.
It was a suffocating defensive performance by the Warriors, corralling one of the league’s most potent offenses. It was an uptempo offense, as the Warriors backed away from the 3-point line in favor of applying transition pressure. As usual, the Celtics made a significant number of 3-pointers. They made 19 of 54.
However, the Warriors had the best player on the floor to win. If he reaches that point, he can deliver at 36. The Celtics helped the Warriors prove their theory in what amounts to their biggest test so far this season. Their defensive aggression, their ball movement, their motion, and most of all, their depth, make them viable.
The Warriors come in waves. They have two units they can throw at teams. They have a variety of units at their disposal, ranging from big and defensive to athletic and long, as well as quick with shooting. Their playing style requires commitment. First, they must find contentment in their current role. Secondly, it’s important to show up and give everything you have. Their hunger is tangible.
“That’s how we have to play it,” Curry said. “And we’ve talked about it. Coach Steve Kerr talked about it ‘until he’s blue in the face already. Every practice, every film session, and every pre-game talk conveys the same message. This is our current identity. It’s who we have to be.”
The Warriors achieved this by implementing their new staple, perimeter ball pressure, along with a tailored response to their individual aggressiveness. Not only are they applying pressure beyond the 3-point line, but they are also rotating with a notable sense of desperation. The help defender in their scheme descends with a vulture’s thirst, taking advantage of the league’s longer leash on physicality.
They can play this way because they have the necessary bodies. They can play this way because they’ve bought into the mentality. They are able to play this way due to the presence of a prominent quarterback on both sides of the court.
On defense, Green leads a cohesive team. One of the greatest signs of a defensive mindset is closeouts. The Warriors rarely run out of 3-pointers. Green, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, or Kyle Anderson always sprint to the contest, even when they’re late on rotation or have blown an assignment.
The defensive identity is visibly forming. “Just our activity,” Kevon Looney said. “We were flying around. We were very physical. They missed some shots. They missed some 3s. But we made them uncomfortable. I believe we managed to disrupt them, preventing them from establishing a rhythm.
It’s evident in Curry, too. Because of the depth, he can be fresh enough to play both ends with focus and relentlessness. Because he doesn’t have to force the action and can let the offense take the rock where it may, he can pick his spots instead of feeling the need to save them.
At the end of the game, he did what he does to Boston. The Warriors were down 95-88 with just over six minutes remaining. A Curry steal led to a Wiggins layup on the other end. The next time down, Curry fought over a screen to stay attached to White, leaving Wiggins on Tatum. Curry didn’t just accept the switch the Celtics wanted.
Curry fouled on a 3-pointer after Tatum missed one. The next time down, Curry drilled an open 3 from the left wing after Boston blew a defensive assignment. Soon after, Curry’s rebound and quick outlet led to a Hield layup.
It was clear what was happening. It felt like a reenactment of a scene, despite the variations in its components. When Curry set up that final dagger, he dished the ball off and watched as if he knew it was going in. It wasn’t Klay Thompson. It was Hield, who has been causing a lot of trouble.
The response from White was as if it were Thompson. After cutting off Curry in the lane, he saw what was developing and covered for Tatum. With all he had, he ran out to Hield, leaping in the air, hoping to distract the marksman. But White was too late. The splash of the net was almost inevitable.