Curry, Wiggins rally Golden State to Game 4 NBA Finals victory
BOSTON (CBS SF) -- Steph Curry shook off an injured foot to score 43 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and 16 rebounds Friday night, lifting the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 NBA Finals Game 4 win over the Boston Celtics.
The victory ran Golden State's playoff record to 6-0 after a loss and knotted the Finals at 2-2 with Game 5 slated for Monday night in San Francisco.
Curry has been the best player in the Finals, but was even more dazzling in Game 4. That wasn't quite expected after he injured his foot in the Warriors Game 3 loss 48 hours ago.
He hit on 14-of-24 shots including hitting on 7-of-14 from 3-point range. Curry also pulled down 10 rebounds and added 4 assists for good measure.
As the clock counted down, Curry was pumping his fists near center court.
"Steph obviously doesn't show a lot of emotions, but tonight warranted it," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Klay Thompson has been Curry's running mate for all six Warriors NBA Finals appearances and has witnessed many outstanding performances. But Friday night left him amazed.
"The heart on that man is incredible," Thompson said. "The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back. We've got to help him out on Monday."
Draymond Green also was an admirer.
"He wasn't letting us lose. That's all it boils down to," Green said. "I could tell in his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire."
There was no doubt in Curry's mind of the importance of the win.
"It means everything knowing the sense of urgency we had to have tonight to win on the road and keep some life in the series, get home-court advantage back and try to create some momentum our way," he said.
The Warriors won the third quarter for the fourth game in a row, but not as decisively as they had previously.
Golden State had a 30-24 edge coming out of the break, closing with a 14-7 run to erase a 6-point Boston lead. Curry scored 14 points in the quarter, making four 3-pointers.
This time, it was the fourth quarter that was decisive. With Boston leading by 4 points midway through the fourth quarter, Golden State went on a 17-3 run to close out the win. The Celtics missed six straight shots during that span.
Kerr also made a major decision, he put the struggling Green on the bench. While Green sat, the Warriors went from being down 91-86 to a 97-94 lead.
"I think it's an understanding of how things can change in a series," Curry said of the move. "And like you said, there's so much trust in how we do things and decisions that Coach makes and responsibility falls on us as players; that Loon went in there, dominated the paint, got us some big rebounds, created a presence. Draymond came back in and had some juice and some life on the defensive end."
"So, you know, we obviously understand it's just about winning. At the end of the day, all decisions are, you know, predicated on that being the goal. And I know we've all been on the side where it doesn't go your way from the top all the way to the bottom. It's not fun. It's not something you readily accept, but you understand the big picture, and obviously especially when it pays off."
Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 11 rebounds, but managed just one basket while playing the entire fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and Robert Williams III had 12 rebounds for Boston.
The Celtics were once again haunted by turnovers. Boston is now 0-6 this postseason when committing 16 or more turnovers. They are 13-2 when that number is 15 or fewer.
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 Golden State in the Curry-Thompson-Green era were bigger than the latest one, a 107-97 win over Boston in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Series tied, 2-2. Home-court 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.
But of the 39 road wins that Golden State has enjoyed during this run, only one might truly measure up to the one the Warriors 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 that night in Cleveland to top the Cavaliers and even the series on their way to a six-game triumph for a title.
Thompson mused after Boston's 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. They have been here together throughout that span. So, they are not only gifted but they are incredibly competitive, and that's what it takes to win on the road. You have to summon that kind of will and intensity and passion, and those guys have that."