Sleep. We all need more of it. Insufficient sleep is a public health concern around the globe. Which is why Steph Curry decided to do the world a favor and help everyone get more sleep. Celtics fans. Haters. Fake news of his playoff shortcomings. The need for Game 7. He put it all to bed and allowed the world to get some more shut-eye. He may need to start a new sibling foundation for Nothin’ But Nets advocating for healthy sleep. Maybe it could be called Hoop Dreams?
Before recapping the Warriors’ victory in all it glory, let’s take a look at the final BSB(R) table and celebrate this year’s winner…
Big ups to Darwin! The man has Bay Area roots, currently lives there, and is a Warriors fan. He is a fitting winner for this year’s Finals. Darwin narrowly edged out Taizo, who has been knocking at the BSB(R) door for years. Taizo, like Tatum and the Celtics, would be wise to internalize the comforting words from a famous hockey coach: better luck next year!
Finals Recap
Going into the Finals, it was difficult to make predictions. Vegas had the Warriors as favorites to win 60% of the time. In their favor was years of NBA Finals experience, more rest during this year’s playoffs, and a generational player. FiveThirtyEight’s model, however, had the Celtics as heavy favorites (80%). The Celtics had a superior point differential in the regular season, better balance and versatility on both sides of the ball, and defenders seemingly equipped to handle Steph.
An in Game 1, those advantages for the Celtics appeared reasonable. The Warriors led most of Game 1 (although the Celtics did lead at the half), including by 15 late in the third quarter. Much of this was fueled by a dominant first half from Curry, who had 21 points in the first quarter. But in the blink of an eye, the Celtics tied the game in the fourth on a three from Derrick White (over Curry) and then took a three-point on a Horford three. The Celtics went on to outscore the Warrions 40-16 in the fourth, behind strong play from Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and especially Al Horford. Warriors fans were worried–how can they lose a game where Steph scored 21 points in the first and Tatum goes 3-17 from the field?
The Warriors rebounded in Game 2, though. The game was tight throughout the first half. But the Warriors did what they do in the third quarter. outscoring the C’s 35-14. The run was punctuated by this insane shot from Jordan Poole to close out the quarter. Brown started out the game hot, but ended 5-17 from the field. Horford, Smart, and Timelord combined for 6 points. Tatum improved on his abysmal Game 1 (28 points, 19 shots), but it wasn’t enough. Draymond recovered from his own abysmal Game 1, and Steph, Looney, and Poole all played well, but it must have been disheartening for the Celtics to get spanked when it appeared as though the Warriors were playing average basketball.
Back in Boston, the Celtics held home court and took a 2-1 lead behind solid play across the roster. Jaylen Brown set the tone with 14 points in the first en route to an efficient game as his team’s leading scorer. The Celtics led by as many as 17 and by 12 at half, but a flurry of Curry threes in the third gave the Dubs a 83-82 lead with 3:43 to play in the third. The 116-100 victory was defined by the Warriors only managing 11 fourth quarter points, Boston’s crowd trolling Draymond, and a Curry injury scare late in the fourth quarter. The Warriors scored with solid efficiency and Curry was lights out, but they couldn’t defend and they lost the possession battle–the Celtics had 9 more offensive rebounds, 4 fewer turnovers, 11 more field goal attempts, and 9 more free throw attempts.
The Warriors evened things up in Game 4, and Steph decided they wouldn’t lose the rest of the series. Curry went off for 43 points (plus 10 rebounds and 4 assists) and deflated whatever momentum the Celtics had going into the game. The game was actually back and forth and the Celtics led by 4 with 5:18 to play after a Marcus Smart three. The game was chaotic from there on out. The Warriors responded with an ugly 10-0 run, which included the Celtics missing some good looks. Wiggins continued his lockdown defense on Tatum and was a rebounding force, doing all the little things that he was known for not doing in Minnesota. The series would return to San Francisco tied 2-2.
If Game 4 was the Steph Curry game, Game 5 was the Andrew Wiggins game. Wigs had 26 points and 12 boards, and although Tatum had his most efficient game of the series (27 points on 20 shots), he continued his strong play on the defensive end. It was all necessary because Curry had a stinker (16 points on 22 shots, 0-9 from three) and the Warriors found themselves down a few points for most of the third quarter. Wiggins kept them afloat in the fourth, though, and punctuated the game with this poster dunk. Payton and Poole were also huge; Poole had another wild shot to close out a third quarter reminiscent of his Game 2 shot.
With the Warriors having their first chance to close out the series and the Celtics trying to force a Game 7, Game 6 was full of tension. With their backs against the wall, Boston jumped out to a 14-2 lead. It felt like we were destined for a close one. The Warriors responded with a 52-19 run, giving them a 54-33 lead with 2:09 to play in the first half. Boston actually won the third quarter and trailed by 10 going into the fourth, but the Warriors were too much in the end. Curry was again magnificent and Draymond’s offense decided to return; meanwhile, Tatum struggled from the field on account of Wiggins’ defense. Brown and Horford had great games, too, but it wasn’t enough.
Taking a step back, what does this end result mean for the league?
First, let’s turn to the Celtics. Their future is bright. They’ll return their entire roster; Smart and White will remain in their primes; Tatum and Brown will have more experience and they will be entering their prime; and young players such as Robert Williams, Grant Williams, Aaron Neismith, and Peyton Pritchard should all be better. Horford will be older, but they project to be better on the whole. Some say the Celtics could use a true point guard. The East was crazy this year and it will again be competitive next year, so the Celtics should definitely look to improve if they can. But I think improved playmaking from Brown and Tatum could also do the trick. We already knew Tatum was great, and this playoffs solidified Brown’s spot near the top of wings in today’s NBA.
As for the Warriors, this series cemented their team as one of the great NBA legacies. The Curry, Klay, Draymond trio is special in the way they all amplify one another, and for them to win again without KD 7 years later after their first ring (and this time, without an impactful Iguodala or Barnes) goes to show how incredible these three are. Kerr, of course, deserves major credit too–he has his team playing some of most beautiful basketball the game has ever seen. But most of all, it comes back to Curry. He roasted every coverage–on drops, he pulled up; on switches, he was at the rim; and on doubles, he found Draymond. Curry was good defensively, too, which was no small feat given that the Tatum and the Celtics frequently tried to target Curry on switches. Curry didn’t yet have a Finals MVP and many held this against him. In 2015 many endorsed Iggy or LeBron as the MVP, even though Curry was a deserving candidate. In 2017 and 2018, KD was barely the better player in the Finals. It added up to a narrative of “Curry isn’t an all-time great because he has never been the best player in the Finals,” which obscured the fact that he had played very well in the Finals (including in 2019 when they lost to the Raptors). It also obscured the fact that Curry’s humility and leadership was central to KD joining the Warriors in the first place. With this Finals in the bag, his teammates once again came to bat for him and tout Curry positive energy force that he is–Curry has many underrated qualities as a basketball player, but his leadership may be the most overlooked (in part because it is difficult to observe, directly). Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge, now: Curry has his ring, and his legacy is safe. The only question now is how far he’ll climb.
Alone In The Green Room 