They are still road Warriors
The streak started a little over nine years ago. A trio of kids — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — went into Denver on a cool April night in 2013 and helped the Warriors win Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round series.
And afterward, Curry said something prophetic.
“We’re a resilient team,” Curry proclaimed.
He had no idea how right he was.
The Warriors have been in 27 playoff series over those nine seasons. They’ve won a road game in every single one of them, a streak that is beyond compare in NBA history. And it can be argued that none of those road wins for the Warriors in the CurryThompson-Green era were bigger than the latest one, a 107-97 win over the Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday.
Series tied, 2-2. Homecourt advantage reclaimed. Game 5 is on Monday in San Francisco, the start of a best-of-three to decide the NBA title. And if the Warriors didn’t extend that road streak, the story would be wildly different right now. The Celtics would be on the brink of a title. The Warriors would be just on the brink.
“What a gut-check win,” Thompson said.
Indeed it was, probably more so than any other road victory in this Warriors’ run.
There have been bigger moments: the Warriors have three championships in this era, and yes, getting handed a golden trophy by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is the biggest moment a team can have. But of the 39 road wins that the Warriors have enjoyed during this run, only one might truly measure up to the one they got on Friday in terms of significance.
That would be Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Same scenario: the Warriors were trailing that series 2-1, they were on the road and facing the dreaded 3-1 deficit, but found a way in Cleveland to top the Cavaliers and even the series on their way to a six-game triumph for a title.
Thompson mused after the Celtics’ win in Game 3 that he was feeling those 2015 vibes again.
He might be right. “You have a group of guys who are going to be in the Hall of Fame someday: Steph, Klay, Draymond,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “These guys are the constant.”
Imagine, 48 hours before Game 4, the question was whether Curry could even play. He sprained his left foot late in Game 3, the same injury that ended his regular season a few games early. Curry said Thursday that he would play, and on Friday, he delivered a performance for all-time — 43 points, 10 rebounds, four assists.
“This was nearly a mustwin game, and to go out there and shoot as efficiently as he did, and grab 10 rebounds and they were attacking him on defense ... Steph played incredible,” Thompson said.
The 43 points represented Curry’s second-highest total ever in a road playoff game. He was demonstrative. Yelling at the crowd a couple times, even. Very un-Steph-like. But the moment couldn’t have been bigger, and Curry delivered, all those years of winning road games at playoff time on enemy hardwood preparing him for this ultimate moment.
“He wasn’t letting us lose,” Green said.