Game 3 of the NBA Finals is now over, and there's no doubt that this was a disappointing game for the Golden State Warriors. They started slow, and despite a ferocious comeback in the 3rd quarter, they were unable to win the game.
Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors offensively, finishing with 31 points on the night. He has previously expressed that he understands that the Golden State Warriors need him to be aggressive, and he did just that tonight.
“I think it's different just cause of the way the roster's constructed... I think this year, there’s definitely a need for me to be aggressive throughout the game, to create, draw attention, get shots up and just continue to apply pressure. Obviously, these first two games, it’s gone well. I don’t know what it will look like on the road. The rest of the series, it’s just always about being confident with the ball in my hands to make plays.”
While Stephen Curry definitely led them on the offensive end, the same cannot be said about the defensive end. Kirk Goldsberry has recently revealed that the Boston Celtics shot 10-14 with Stephen Curry as a primary defender.
The Celtics shot 10-of-14 when Stephen Curry was the primary defender.
Obviously, Stephen Curry is never going to be the best defender, simply due to his physical limitations. With that being said, he is fairly good at playing within the Warriors' defensive scheme, and perhaps some of his defensive lapses can be excused due to the offensive load that he has to carry for the Golden State Warriors.
Hopefully, we see the Golden State Warriors bounce back and win Game 4. They need to avoid a 3-1 deficit at all costs. Perhaps we'll see Stephen Curry lead the way once again, and even if he is subpar defensively at times, without his offense, the Golden State Warriors would be nowhere close to as good of a team.
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