DALLAS – Two of the best NBA players face off in the Finals of the Western Conference. Steph Curry, a revolutionary star with a championship pedigree, has been tasked with keeping young superstar Luka Doncic off his throne.
National pundits eager to usher in the next wave of stars crowned Donick the top dog ahead of Game 1. But Curry is making it clear, loud and clear: He’s not giving up the throne. Not even a little.
This became very clear after the Warriors’ 109-100 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. His win in Dallas gave Golden State a 3-0 series lead and served as a reminder that Curry’s work and sacrifice to build a dynasty isn’t as easy as he made it.
A playoff series against Curry has made Donick, who plays more mature than his 23 years, realizing how much he has yet to learn. He almost waved a white flag after Sunday’s game.
“I’m still learning,” Donick said. “I think after this season is over, whoever we are, I think we will look back and learn a lot. This is my first time in the conference finals in the NBA, so I am 23 years old, Man, I’m still learning a lot.”
Curry heard all that noise.
“You know everything, I hear everything,” Curry said. “It is not motivation though. Motivation is the fact that we are back on this stage after a gap of two years with an opportunity to reach the finals again.
Curry has this whole playoff run thing. He led the team to 31 points with five 3-pointers on Sunday, shooting 10-of-20 from the field. It was a particularly aggressive performance for Curry, who has rammed into the Warriors’ victory with some of the most efficient fourth-quarter performances in the NBA.
He’s shooting 46% from the field and averages a team-leading six points in the clutch—the seven games the Warriors have played in the playoffs that come within five points with less than five minutes to go. Overall, Curry averages 27 points, third behind Donick (32) and Jimmy Butler (28) of Miami, remaining in the playoffs.
Some of Donik’s frustration boiled over after Curry hit and celebrated a no-look 3-pointer to erase Dallas’ lead late in the first half. Donnick spoke a few words to him, and the two teams convened mid-court to share some “playoff words,” as Curry put it.
Donnick himself acknowledged the gap between his stardom and Curry’s maturity. And Curry’s maturity comes to the fore both as he leads the charge in close games and short-lived as he works to keep his teammates looking their best, too.
Drummond Green has played a lot of playoff games with Curry. He saw how his brilliance kept these warrior teams invincible.
“He’s very, very aggressive and that’s what we need,” Green said. “I think he’s always been aggressive. I don’t really see any difference other than maturity. You know what they expect now. You know how to win. You know all these things. So I guess The biggest thing I look for is maturity, just being prepared and knowing what happens in these situations.”
While he has dissected opposing teams in these playoffs for most of the fourth quarter so far, Curry came out blazing in Game 3.
His first points looked like some of his best fourth-quarter points—taking advantage of center Dwight Powell, reaching the rack for a quick lay-up, plus a foul. Powell was dropped from the game soon after. He hit four more points in his first half as he headed for the paint, but also hit three 3-pointers in the half. Its bread and butter.
Klay Thompson said, “He just knows where to put his shots.” “He lets our offense go clearly, and I think that’s his ability to finish around the rim. He’s the best at it when it comes to point guard, and that’s what he’s doing.” He always does, and it’s surprising to all of us.
Granted, Dončić is no slouch. He scored a game-high 40 points, shooting 11-for-23 from the field. The truth is that Donik can be above his daily score every day and that may not be enough to win. Golden State threw the kitchen sink defensively at the Mavericks, as well as Dallas’ inability to hit 3-pointers nullified Donick’s elite performance.
Curry’s legacy has grown somewhat by directly and indirectly outperforming his peers. For example, Wiggins’ exceptional playoff performance gained steam in the regular season, where Curry’s gravity gave Wiggins space to find his role. 1 overall pick, who never found a home, settled in a role that earned him All-Star status. Confident at his peak in the playoffs, he’s defending Donick to the tee and adding insults by throwing poster dunks at Starr.
“I don’t know, man, I think the Warriors are playing incredible,” Donick said. “Everyone knows their role. Everyone just lives together. They are a long standing team. They’ve been together for a long time, and I think they’re playing good basketball, so I think it’s going to be really difficult, and the last three games have been very difficult. ,
The narrative may be calling for a change of guard. But his elected office bearers are saying that this acquisition is not that easy.
This conversation is especially irrelevant to the Warriors, Curry. At 34 years old, he’s literally circling his opponents. With his team once again away from the final, Curry is just looking forward.
“Coming back with my original, but with a new cast of characters, this is an opportunity to do something special,” he said. “I don’t need any extra motivation. It’s just trying to take advantage of the opportunity, knowing they’re not going to come – you shouldn’t take it lightly. There’s a limit to how it plays out.”
