Watch out, Cleveland: Curry’s feeling it and he’s not messing around
As I looked down at the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, my mind kept wandering back to the end of last season when, on this very same court, these very same Cleveland Cavaliers stole the title out from under the Golden State Warriors.
It was a Game 7 to remember and Cleveland certainly deserved to win. Most people remember LeBron James’ dramatic block of Andre Iguodala’s layup late in the game. Then there was Kyrie Irving’s threepoint dagger, which proved to be the difference. But I’ll always remember Stephen Curry, with the ball in his hands and the game on the line in the closing seconds, trying to shake Kevin Love to launch a possible gametying three. Love isn’t known for his defense. But Curry wasn’t able to get a good look, and it told us everything we needed to know.
Curry wasn’t right for last year’s NBA Finals. That’s clearly not the case this year.
On a night when Kevin Durant asserted himself early and often, validating his controversial decision to sign with Golden State last summer, Curry was simply sublime. The Warriors’ diminutive leader showed why they call him the Baby-Faced Assassin, pouring in 28 points to help lead his team to a 113-91 cakewalk over the Cavs.
“Obviously, K.D. scored and Steph scored, but what you like about both those guys,” said acting head coach Mike Brown, “Steph had 10 assists, he also had six rebounds as your point guard. K.D. had eight assists and then eight rebounds.”
If Curry had any demons to exorcise after last year’s subpar performance in the Finals, he sent them packing in Game 1. You could see it in the way he moved, showing off some of his vintage, free-form style of jazz. In pregame warmups, I watched as Curry practiced long-snapping the basketball between his legs, then attempting a three-pointer by bumping it underhanded, like a volleyball. He was clearly loose, and it showed on the court.
Exhibit A? The third quarter. With Golden State holding an eight-point lead coming out of halftime, Curry led the charge, helping jump-start the team to an immediate 13-0 run. The point guard’s ballhandling brilliance was on full display for the entire stanza, consistently outshining his also brilliant counterpart, Kyrie Irving. Then the three-pointers started raining down — four of six falling in the third quarter alone — and you could feel the Cavs’ spirit drifting away into the Oakland night.
A defining moment occurred with 1:52 left in the third, when Curry, who scored 14 points in the quarter, pulled up at the top of the key and sank his sixth three-pointer of the night, putting the Warriors up 87-68. The Baby-Faced Assassin turned on a dime, as the crowd erupted, and started a slow high-step toward center court, arms held high. It was the peak moment of the night, and everyone knew it. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Warriors had opened up a 21-point lead and a once-promising game had lost much of its suspense.
“The third quarter was the whole game,” said Cavs superstar LeBron James.
Curry wouldn’t bite on the redemption theme after the game, giving the press some basic platitudes, but that’s OK. He’s a humble king.
“I mean, focus on what’s in front of you,” said Curry. “We had an opportunity to win the first game of the series, get off to a good start; we were able to do that.”
Good for you, Steph. Do your talking on the court.
Speaking of which, the fancy footwork and the sure-handed shooting have always been staples of Curry’s game. But there was another stat that jumped off the sheet. Curry committed only two turnovers in 34 minutes of play. (As a team, the Warriors committed only four turnovers, which is remarkable.)
To put that in perspective, consider how much the Warriors’ point guard handles the ball. How many difficult situations he finds himself in, weaving through traffic and threading passes through a forest of giants. Curry has struggled with turnovers throughout his career, that being one of his few weak points.
The situation came to a head in last year’s Finals, when Curry committed more turnovers (30) than he had assists (26) over the course of seven games. The rejuvenated MVP flipped that script in Oakland Thursday night, handing out 10 dimes to go with those two turnovers.
Be afraid, Cleveland. Steph Curry’s back, he’s healthy and he’s not messing around.