OAKLAND -- In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry introduced himself to the stat sheet with a turnover. Bad pass, out of bounds.
His first 3-point shot attempt, a product of pure hubris, missed from 32 feet. He launched another about three minutes later, from 30 feet, and it rimmed out. He waited all of 19 seconds before coming back for a third, this time from 29 feet.
Splash.
Curry’s next two 3-balls, one from 24 feet and the next from 29 feet, both missed, the first nicking the side of the backboard, scraping the rim and dropping into the rebounding hands of LeBron James. The second was a left-handed heave, a shameless but futile attempt to draw a shooting foul.
In 12 first-quarter minutes during a 122-103 Warriors victory, Curry had 7 points, five assists, three rebounds and two turnovers. He was 3-of-8 from the field. From long distance, his specialty, he was 1-of-5.
Who knew this would be the game in which Curry made nine 3-pointers, surpassing the eight-year-old mark of Ray Allen for a single-game record for The Finals?
“That's a pretty cool deal to accomplish knowing who has held the record for -- what is it, probably six, eight years?” Curry wondered.
How did Curry recover? He did as he does with all rough moments, which is the same thing he does with extraordinary moments. He flushed it. Immediately. One of the traits common in great shooters is their ability to have a “short memory.” Curry goes one better. He operates with zero memory.
“Nothing bothers him,” Larry Riley, the scout that advocated for the drafting of Curry in 2009, said in the Warriors locker room. “Bad game, good game, bad quarter, good quarter, it doesn’t matter. I’m telling you, nothing stays with him.”
This is why the Cleveland Cavaliers had to know they were on borrowed time. They are familiar with Curry and know his every offensive movement on the court is a gathering storm, particularly at Oracle Arena. The monsoon was coming, and once it arrived they would be helpless.
“At this point,” Kevin Durant said, “it’s expected.”
It came, full force, in the fourth quarter -- after Curry forgot his 0-of-5 third quarter. He was, get this, 6-of-20 from the field when he drilled back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth, hiking the Warriors lead from seven to 13 with 10:12 to play.
“That's what he does,” James said. “So shouldn't be surprised or deflated at it. Take the ball out, move it forward, and try to execute on the other end.”
Cleveland never again got within single digits. Yet it was the Curry 3 with 7:54 remaining that gave the Warriors a 14-point lead -- and the dramatic way it dropped -- that surely wrung the last drops of hope from the Cavaliers.
“Every time you watch Steph, there’s a chance you’ll see him do something nobody else can do,” Riley said. “And he’ll make it look routine.”
Defended by Cleveland big man Kevin Love on the left wing with the shot clock running down, Curry lost his handle and scooted further away from the basket as he regained it. Realizing the clock was fast approaching zeroes, he flung a 29-foot turnaround fadeaway that dropped through without contact with the rim.
“He makes tough shots,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “That's what he does.”
“The one where he was falling away was -- I wouldn't necessarily say I was surprised about that,” Draymond Green said. “But it was like, oh, man, he's really got it going.”
Scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter, mostly off 5-of-5 shooting beyond the arc, Curry went from 6-of-20 from the field to 11-of-26, and from 4-of-12 from deep to 9-of-17. He had thrown a bolt of lightning through Oracle Arena and thrashed the Cavaliers.
“I can't say I knew he had nine 3s or it was a Finals record,” Green said. “But you definitely notice the looks on their faces when he hit some of the shots. It was like dagger after dagger. They played great defense, and he pulled up and hit a 3 in your face. You definitely notice the effect that it has on the opposing team.”
When he is chasing victory, there is no conscience guiding Curry’s actions and no remorse about any devastating effects. To the contrary, this is what satiates the sadist at Curry’s competitive core.
The face of a puppy camouflages the psyche of a wolf. Curry is a hunter. His goal is the destruction of opponents, and yesterday’s victims are buried right beside any mistakes he might make along the way.
| Game | Result/Schedule |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | Warriors 124, Cavs 114 (OT) |
| Game 2 | Warriors 122, Cavs 103 |
| Game 3 | Cleveland -- Wednesday, June 6 at 6pm |
| Game 4 | Cleveland -- Friday, June 8 at 6pm |
| Game 5 | Oakland -- Monday, June 11 at 6pm |
| Game 6 | Cleveland -- Thursday, June 14 at 6pm |
| Game 7 | Oakland -- Sunday, June 17 at 5pm |
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