Steph Curry gets nostalgic discussing Boston Celtics’ dominance this season
After a historic drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics, all Steph Curry could do was reflect on times of greater prosperity. During his post-game press conference, Curry was candid about the lopsided affair.
"We used to do that to teams," Curry said (h/t CLNS' Bobby Manning) "The game kept going their way, going their way, and it seemed like every little play was going their way. You look up, and you're down 50 or so."
Nothing could go right for Curry, as he could never get out of the blocks. He had just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, including 0-9 from beyond the arc. It's one of the five-worst Curry scoring outputs of all time, and he looked visually frustrated getting hounded by Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holliday.
Boston Celtics look ready to win the NBA Championship this season
It felt like this game was an exorcism for the Boston Celtics. The 2022 Finals were supposed to be a coronation, but it has been a constant talking point to diminish any success the Cs have had since. The games against Golden State have felt like a recurring nightmare for the fans and players alike. It was the final boss that would punk Boston repeatedly until today, when a flip switched, and the result's significance felt greater than a one-off contest in March.
What the Warriors dynasty did like no other team in the 2000s was snatch the other team's soul. It wasn't just about the three-point barrage or the culmination of unbelievable talent, but the unrelenting swagger and moxy to think they were better than any other team they faced every single night.
On March 3, the Celtics were the alpha dogs.
It started with Steve Kerr, who, likely trying to get in his head, decided to have a game plan that left Jaylen Brown open on the perimeter. It was no coincidence. It was Draymond Green in drop coverage, daring Brown to shoot. Even this time last season, a stunt like this could've worked. Brown has often spiraled and gotten into his own head if stuff doesn't go according to plan. His maturity in using the disrespect as fuel to seize the moment was emblematic of someone with a championship pedigree.
The final piece was the merciless offensive barrage. It was all gas, no breaks. The Celtics never let up. Even the bench mob was playing with the intensity of a team trailing, not up by half a century. That was a "Splash Brothers" calling card—a three-point flurry could turn a close game into a blowout in the blink of an eye. The Cs are the first team in history to win three games in a season by 50+, a stat that easily passes the eye test.
Boston now has the best point differential since, ironically, the 2017 Warriors, which is good enough for fifth-best in NBA history. They have also matched the pace of the 2008 Celtics through 60 games at 48-12.
Brown summed it up perfectly.
"It's a lot of respect for the Golden State Warriors," Brown prefaced before saying, "But we feel like it's our time now."
It won't matter until the Larry O'Brien Trophy returns to Boston, but that time feels closer than ever.