Kevin Love's game winning defensive stop on Curry

[masonanddixon]

Probably one of the GOAT Finals possessions ever and the seminal moment of the series.

[TheWinningFam]

ok

[warriorfan]

Perhaps the most critical segment of this series came at the end of the third quarter of Game 4, Cleveland cutting the Warriors lead to three. The Q was rocking. The Finals hung in the balance.

Curry calmly called for the ball, shook a defender and drained a three, pushing Golden State to a six-point lead. In a reversal of roles, a gassed LeBron tried to answer with a three of his own at the buzzer, only to miss badly. When James went to the bench to rest at the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors seized control of the game and the Finals.

Curry finished with 22 that night. He then dropped 37, including 17 in the fourth quarter, in Game 5. On Tuesday, he dropped a couple of massive threes to help stem a fourth-quarter Cleveland surge, then when double-teamed, hit a wide-open Klay Thompson for another.

[quote]
[SIZE="3"][I]Not only did Curry average an MVP-like 26 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in 43 minutes per game, but as Kerr told his point guard, sometimes a point guard has to put his own game now in favor of managing the game for his teammates.

That is what Curry relayed when he said in the postgame press conference, "The Finals are not that different from normal NBA games. It's just the spotlight is different, and soar are the expectations. When you have an average game, you find out in the Finals that people were expecting more. But really, that stuff doesn't matter. It's all about winning. That's what I've learned. I just need to impact games, be myself every other night, do other things to help my team win and be OK with that. Manage the game from a point-guard standpoint, find a way to win and that's what we did

[aj1987]

Therefore we can conclude that Curry's bruised ***** was the differentiating factor which lowered Curry's production
:biggums:

Agreed.

[SouBeachTalents]

https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4bYYPLGiZavZr6odQMT2_61HGAc=/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3783750/warriorsball.0.gif

http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/55785bd86da811a06574389c/draymond%20miss%201.gif

https://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/game-3-4.gif[/IMG]


Most 4th Quarter Points during the Finals

1995 Shaquille O'Neal 11.5
2000 Shaquille O'Neal 11.5 (61.1% TS)
2015 Stephen Curry 10.8 (75.1% TS)
1997 Michael Jordan 10.7 (55.1% TS)
1998 Michael Jordan 10.6 (50.6% TS)
2011 Dirk Nowitzki 10.3 (68.0% TS)
1993 Michael Jordan 10.3

2015 Steph Curry had one of the most clutch performance in NBA history. The only player to score more 4th Quarter Finals points than Steph Curry was Shaquille Oneal, and he didn't even score one point more than Curry while Curry scored 14% more efficiently than Shaquille


In the 2016 Finals he was not able to play as well as he did in 2015

What happened in 2016 that didn't happen in 2015? The major MCL injury


http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m_8DziMFB8s/0.jpg



Curry had a lack of lateral quickness and ability to change direction because of his MCL injury

Here is a clip of healthy Curry showcasing his excellent lateral quickness and change of direction

https://media.giphy.com/media/vJJxhc46rAsnK/giphy.gif
These types of plays were routine for Curry before the MCL injury

The time table for return of an MCL sprain is 2 to 4 weeks.

(Keep in mind that healing timetable is for every day activity, nothing more strenuous than walking up one flight of stairs, NOT playing professional basketball)

Stephen Curry returned from the injury after only 2 weeks because the Warriors were struggling against Portland without him.

Stephen Curry re-aggravated his knee injury by coming back too early and then playing 40+ minutes of playoff basketball plus overtime in his record setting performance against Portland.


Therefore we can conclude that Curry's MCL injury was the differentiating factor which lowered Curry's production

https://i.imgur.com/Jg6TZJ1.gif

[MaxPlayer]

So...

Curry not injured = 0/11
Curry injured = 0/11

Yes, yes, I see the difference...

[GimmeThat]

Kevin Love had more rest than Curry, Curry is best rested

[Trollsmasher]

this has mainly happened due to the presence of LeBron James behind Love

Curry was scared of taking a more sensible shot at the rim to cut it down to one because of LeBron's GOAT rim protection by a perimeter player

[ShawkFactory]

this has mainly happened due to the presence of LeBron James behind Love

Curry was scared of taking a more sensible shot at the rim to cut it down to one because of LeBron's GOAT rim protection by a perimeter player
Not to mention that bron has already swatted the shit out of him 6 times or whatever

[BigKAT]

this has mainly happened due to the presence of LeBron James behind Love

Curry was scared of taking a more sensible shot at the rim to cut it down to one because of LeBron's GOAT rim protection by a perimeter player

I agree, there's great value in the fear factor.
Just knowing that Prime Duncan, KG or Hakeem is waiting behind the player guarding you is enough to make you want to shoot over him.

Same goes for Lebron's rim protection in these finals.

[Cone]

Aw poow lil Cuwwy needs westy west


Meanwhile Lebron plays 47min, clutch afyer clutch plays:confusedshrug:

The excuses are never ending for Chokery. Unbelievable.

He just isnt that good. He choked.

[hold this L]

warriorfan turning into 2ball level of cringe with his long posts. Also has the same insecurity as the Bron tards who keep making topics about Curry and Durant every single day because unlike their alpha idol, they turn into insecure betas instead of believing in Bron. :pimp:

[HBK_Kliq_2]

game 7 of the nba finals final play and you get stopped by kevin love. That's the most embarrassing moment for any superstar in finals history.

Now Kevin Love is beating curry again :roll: :roll:

[ELITEpower23]

warriorfan turning into 2ball level of cringe with his long posts. Also has the same insecurity as the Bron tards who keep making topics about Curry and Durant every single day because unlike their alpha idol, they turn into insecure betas instead of believing in Bron. :pimp:

:oldlol:

[Blazers32]

Love defense sucks, its more so Curry choking. Warriors went 7 minutes not scoring. Total choke.

[Honor Boost]

game 7 of the nba finals final play and you get stopped by kevin love. That's the most embarrassing moment for any superstar in finals history.

Now Kevin Love is beating curry again :roll: :roll:

:roll:

[Axe]

:oldlol:
:roll:

[ImKobe]

game 7 of the nba finals final play and you get stopped by kevin love. That's the most embarrassing moment for any superstar in finals history.

Now Kevin Love is beating curry again :roll: :roll:

Not as embarrassing as blowing a 3 - 1 lead with double-digits leads in every game as the favorite.