Stephen Curry

Steph Curry is a three-time champion, two-time MVP, the greatest shooter of all time and one of the defining superstars of his generation. The one knock against him in his storied career is that he's never been the NBA Finals MVP.

He sure looked like it on Friday night, though.

Curry dropped 43 points and 10 rebounds on the Boston Celtics in a pivotal Game 4, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 win that evened the series at two games apiece. He was 7-of-14 from three. All of that against the backdrop of a fervent Boston crowd, hoping to see its team take a commanding series lead.

Still Chef Curry with the shot 💧#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BxX3utq5r7

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022

Steph was visibly upset after this DEEP three pointer 😳 pic.twitter.com/HcFJilA4yT

— ESPN (@espn) June 11, 2022

Steph has 33 points through three quarters 🍿 pic.twitter.com/FAwuEWQ8TN

— ESPN (@espn) June 11, 2022

So it wasn't a surprise when Curry was the toast of NBA Twitter after the contest:

30 is a bad boy.

— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) June 11, 2022

AMAZING

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 11, 2022

Chef is INSANE!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 11, 2022

Special performance by 30 sheesh

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) June 11, 2022

steph doing herculean feats right now

— jason concepcion (@netw3rk) June 11, 2022

Maybe Curry's greatest Finals game. And he's had many great ones. Just transcendent tonight.

— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) June 11, 2022

THIS IS STEPH CURRY’S LEAGUE YOU ARE JUST PLAYING IN IT 👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳👨🏽‍🍳

— Blake Anderson (@UncleBlazer) June 11, 2022

Steph Curry is the greatest PG ever.

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 11, 2022

A truly remarkable performance from Stephen Curry. He's been so much better than everyone in this series, it's been incredible to watch.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 11, 2022

All-time stuff by Steph. One of his best games ever.

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 11, 2022

This is Stephen Curry's 2nd career 40-point Finals game.

— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 11, 2022

The Warriors needed every bucket from Steph, with Draymond Green struggling mightily on offense yet again (two points on 1-of-7 shooting) and the duo of Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson combining for 34 points but on an inconsistent 14-of-34 shooting.

There were echoes of Game 1, albeit in reverse, in Game 4. The Warriors closed the game on a 17-3 run, reminiscent of Boston's 40-16 fourth quarter in the opening salvo of this series.

On Friday, the Celtics needed more from Jayson Tatum (23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists), who shot just 8-of-23 from the field. Jaylen Brown (21 points), Marcus Smart (18 points) and Derrick White (16 points off the bench) tried to pick up the slack, but nobody could keep up with Curry.

Golden State's majestic point guard proved, definitively, that he's the best player in this series. That previously elusive Finals MVP may be his soon enough.

The Boston Celtics won the first game on each home floor during the 2022 NBA Finals.

Boston held serve at home in Game 3 to recapture the series edge over the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State responded to its Game 1 loss with some defensive adjustments that allowed it to even the series before it left for Boston.

Steve Kerr's Warriors need to follow a similar theme to get back into the series in Game 4 on Friday night.

The primary response to Game 3's loss should be to figure out what Draymond Green can do on the offensive end of the court.

Green fouled out in Game 3 to the delight of the Boston crowd. He finished with two points, four rebounds and three assists.

Golden State received an increase in production from Klay Thompson, who erupted for 25 points, but the supporting cast around him and Stephen Curry was not good enough.

Boston had five players reach double figures, and three of them eclipsed the 20-point mark. Ime Udoka's side even had two other players chip in eight and seven points.

The Celtics have had the better scoring depth throughout the series, and if that shows again in Game 4, they could take a 3-1 advantage back to San Francisco.

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Golden State Needs More Out of Draymond Green

Golden State needing more from Draymond Green is probably the biggest understatement of the NBA Finals.

Green finished Game 3 with more personal fouls than points. That can't happen in a road game in which the Warriors need Green to chip in across all facets of the game.

The Warriors are back in the position they were in after Game 1. They had to make defensive adjustments to ensure that Boston would not go off from three-point range for a second straight game.

For Game 4, Steve Kerr needs to get more from Green, or replace him in the rotation with someone else.

The Warriors went small with Otto Porter Jr. in the "center role" for parts of Game 3. They could use a similar approach with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and either Jordan Poole or Gary Payton II.

Payton would add more defense to the unit on the floor, while Poole's presence might help the Warriors turn the game into a track meet and take one of Boston's big men off the floor.

Golden State's changes must focus on how to rebound better. Boston won the rebounding battle 47-31 in Game 3. An improved game from Green can help make up that deficit, as could better defense and boxing out on the offensive end.

The Warriors' adjustments for Game 4 must revolve around Green, either with him on the floor or not.

Golden State can't afford to have another Game 3 performance out of the veteran forward. He could improve and be better on the boards, or Kerr may be forced to use Poole, Payton and Porter more off the bench.

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Boston Continues To Flex Scoring Depth

Boston has the better scoring depth than Golden State.

That was made apparent in Game 1, when Al Horford and Derrick White carried the team while Jayson Tatum dished out 13 assists.

Tatum has been better in the scoring department since then, but so has the rest of the supporting cast.

Marcus Smart broke out for 24 points in Game 3 to counter the emergence of Thompson on the Golden State side of the floor.

Grant Williams and White combined for 17 points off the bench, which was one point better than Poole and Porter contributed for Golden State.

Tatum, Smart and Jaylen Brown all had over 20 points, and Horford chipped in 11 points out of the starting lineup. Robert Williams had eight points and 10 rebounds. Green and Kevon Looney had eight points between them.

Boston can absorb a better performance from Green if Horford chips in more points, or if Williams gets close to a double-double again.

The Celtics can't expect 24 points out of Smart again, but they can bank on around 15 points each from him and Horford to keep up with what the Warriors throw at them.

White and Williams could also add more off the bench, especially from the three-point line, where both players have excelled throughout the postseason.

Boston's seven-man rotation can outscore Golden State's top seven no matter which way you spread out the points, and that is what makes it dangerous at home to take a 3-1 lead.

Amid concerns about his leg injury heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry earned praise from Draymond Green for his physical strength and flexibility.

Speaking to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Green noted the ways in which Curry is stronger than a lot of his Warriors teammates.

"He is strong," Green said. "And when I say strong, I mean strong. Like, if you go in our weight room, and we're doing dumbbell bench press, Steph is in the hundred [pound] club. Not many people get to the hundred club. His legs [are] super strong. That change happened last year."

Curry's size has been discussed throughout his NBA career. Josh Jackson said in a Vice Sports video released in September 2017 that the Warriors star was "small and unathletic."

Jackson did offer a follow-up explanation on Twitter for what he meant:

Man y'all make a story out of anything 🤦🏾‍♂️😂 my definition of athletic is a guy who flies through the lane and plays above the rim 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Josh Jackson (@j_josh11) September 29, 2017

Curry is officially listed at 6'2" and 185 pounds on the NBA's official website, but Holmes noted the two-time NBA MVP says his weight is closer to 200 pounds right now.

Even though he's not the most physically imposing player in the league, Curry almost certainly has the best conditioning of any active player.

Brandon Payne, Curry's trainer, told Scott Davis of Insider.com that one of the conditioning drills Curry regularly goes through is the full-court star.

"During this drill, Curry runs to opposite ends of the court: corner to corner, left wing to left wing, right wing to right wing, corner to corner, then back to the top of the keys, shooting three-pointers at each spot. He has to do this in 55 seconds and make at least eight of his 10 attempts," Davis wrote.

Payne noted that Curry "does every drill like his hair is on fire" and he "moves at such an incredible pace."

Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser told Holmes that Curry is doing weightlifting workouts "more than he's ever" done.

The results have shown up for Curry on the defensive end of the court this season. He ranked sixth among all point guards in defensive real plus-minus (4.31), ahead of 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart (3.56).

Per The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, this was the second straight season that Curry finished with a positive defensive real plus-minus rating (0.10 in 2020-21) after posting negative marks in his 11 seasons.

Curry has been able to increase his defensive effectiveness while still remaining the most dynamic shooter in the NBA. The eight-time All-Star has been the best player in the Finals against the Boston Celtics thus far.

Through three games in the series, Curry is averaging 31.3 points and shooting 48.6 percent from three-point range.

As good as Curry has been, the Warriors find themselves in a 2-1 series hole. They will look to even things up against the Celtics in Game 4 on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

Stephen Curry may not be 100 percent, but he'll be in the lineup for Friday's Game 4 matchup against the Boston Celtics.

“I’m going to play. That is all I know right now," Curry told reporters Thursday.

The Warriors guard suffered a foot injury in the fourth quarter of Golden State's Game 3 loss when Al Horford landed on top of his leg while scrambling for a loose ball.

"We need him if we want to win this thing," Klay Thompson told reporters of Curry. "I know Steph's going to do everything he can in his power to play. I am really hoping he's OK, because he's our identity and without him it would be very difficult."

Curry said it's unclear whether he would be able to play if this were a regular-season game, noting the context of the game would matter in the decision.

The Warriors enter Game 4 trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Curry being their only consistent offensive force. He's averaging a series-high 31.3 points over the first three games; no other Warrior is averaging more than 17 points per game.

It's no surprise that Curry would be able to push through the injury to stay on the floor, but it'll be interesting to see whether he's limited, particularly on the defensive end. Golden State's lockdown defense has only shown up intermittently in these Finals, as the younger, springier Celtics have used their athletic prowess to their advantage.

Warriors coach Steve Kerry may have to adjust his rotations to have more back-end help at the rim if Curry is getting beat consistently off the dribble as a result of the injury.

BOSTON — Draymond Green does not think his postgame podcasts during these NBA playoffs are telling any secrets. But they must be of some value to opponents—Celtics staffers are listening in. There's no question that the podcasts are an unprecedented feature in the evolving world of athletes talking directly to fans. It's less clear how they might support teams' scouting efforts.

In the Draymond Green Show, listeners are hearing in the middle of the playoffs what one of the sport's most cerebral players is thinking about the games he is playing in. The fact that someone as savvy as Green is speaking unprompted for roughly 30 minutes following each game is a first for the NBA. It's provided fascinating content for the league's observers far and wide.

Make no mistake—several Boston coaches are tuning in to every episode.

Dallas Mavericks staffers at least monitored snippets of the feed for information as well during the Western Conference Finals.

"Especially with the amount of time between Finals games," one NBA assistant coach told B/R. "Both teams are definitely looking for any small advantage they possibly can."

Green said after Wednesday's Game 3 he has no concerns he's tipping the Warriors' hand: "No. I don't say much different on the podcast than what I say [in postgame press conferences]."

Given the example that he had spoken about how the Warriors altered their approach to Derrick White, Marcus Smart and Al Horford between Games 1 and 2, Green dismissed any notions he'd said too much, saying, "That was just contested shots."

Multiple coaches and executives contacted by B/R also shrugged about Green's postgame programming. These are the sport's foremost coaches in the world. They see real-time adjustments and scheme tweaks. They process the action taking place on the hardwood almost instantaneously.

"I can see having someone on [the rival] staff listen, just in case there is something you didn't know," another assistant coach texted B/R. "But I think you are gonna be on top of things already."

Still, each data point in the NBA can help cast a wider net for an opponent. Every trade window, front-office personnel scroll through their Rolodexes in hopes of logging even the smallest intel on their opponents. Every draft period, the men and women hunkered down in war rooms across the map have collected countless shreds of knowledge to better understand whom rival teams will pick before their selection even arrives on the clock.

Following a Game 1 Warriors loss in which White, Smart and Horford shot 15-of-23 from distance, Green said on his podcast there would be changes for Game 2. He spoke of wanting to contest those shooters more.

Yes, that’s an obvious adjustment that Boston staffers would have prepared for, but being prepared for an outcome is far different from expecting it. The Warriors could have simply decided to dare White, Smart and Horford to make lightning strike Chase Center twice.

Some information can have a notable effect on playoff strategy. The Utah Jazz were prepared for Luka Doncic to play several of the early games in their opening-round series, but only until Dallas ruled the All-NBA floor general unavailable, which only happened when the Mavericks were finally required to by league rules. The Philadelphia 76ers took a $50,000 fine for failing to disclose Joel Embiid's status against Miami until after the NBA's firm deadline for doing so.

Those instances have far greater consequences than whether the Warriors planned to close out on White or Smart or Horford more aggressively in their next battle. But it was a data point nonetheless. From a Boston perspective, you could consider that idea was at least important enough to Green for him to repeat on his podcast. It's no secret to rival coaches that Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff often meet privately with Green, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala for deeper film discussion in addition to teamwide sessions. The tiniest comment from Green can at least provide the Celtics with some bulletin-board material.

Green and various league sources may dismiss the idea that his podcast is giving the Celtics any advantage. But for whatever reason, Celtics staffers are listening. That's testament to the special value of the show.

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*Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry appears to have avoided a serious injury coming out of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, there is "optimism" that the two-time NBA MVP has avoided a "major" injury and won't need an MRI.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr later told reporters he expects Curry to play in Game 4 on Friday night. He did not provide any further details on the injury.

Steve Kerr says he expects Steph Curry to play in Game 4 tomorrow night. No further update from last night however. Warriors are not having a formal practice today. pic.twitter.com/0uAypxLGhC

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 9, 2022

Concern arose over Curry's left leg after Game 3 on Wednesday. Boston Celtics forward Al Horford rolled on top of his leg when both players were trying to secure a loose ball.

The incident led to a brief scrum on the court before the referees calmed things down.

"Obviously, in some pain, but I'll be all right," Curry told reporters after the Warriors' 116-100 loss. "We'll see how it responds. Not much other to say. I don't feel like I'll miss a game. Take advantage of these next 48 hours to get ready."

The Athletic's Tim Kawakami noted Curry was walking with a "slight limp" entering and exiting his postgame press conference.

The quick turnaround between Games 3 and 4 created some uncertainty about Curry's availability. Kerr told reporters the team would know more during the off day Thursday.

Curry has been Golden State's best player in the NBA Finals. He is averaging 31.3 points on 48.6 percent three-point shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists through three games.

If Curry is limited, the Warriors will need at least one of their other stars to pick up the slack if they want to get back in the series.

Klay Thompson had his best performance of the Finals in Game 3 (25 points in 39 minutes). Andrew Wiggins dropped 18 points in the loss but was just 1-of-6 from three-point range.

Jordan Poole, who is averaging 24 minutes per game in the series, could see increased playing time. He started each of Golden State's first five playoff games when Curry was limited by a foot injury.

The Warriors and Celtics will play Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

Boston Celtics star Marcus Smart didn't see anything untoward when teammate Al Horford dove for a loose ball and injured Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry during Boston's 116-100 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

Horford landed on Curry's left foot during the sequence, and the Warriors star appeared to be the worse for wear. Speaking with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, Smart thought Horford made a natural basketball play:

It's the Finals. You've got guys diving all over the place. Their guys are diving into us. We don't say nothing. We're getting hurt as well, but we continue to play. Nothing is intentional. It's the Finals. We're trying to win just like them. First one to the ball, as we all know, wins. They can complain all they want. It is what it is. There's nothing dirty about it. It's fair game. It's fair basketball. It's Finals basketball. … Nobody is out here trying to hurt anybody.

Curry opened his postgame press conference by saying he was in a bit of pain but expected to suit up in Game 4 on Friday. He added it's the same injury (a left foot sprain) he suffered in a game against Boston during the regular season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moA-d3Vwalk

Curry also told reporters he hadn't seen a replay of the loose-ball scramble, so he didn't want to draw any conclusions about Horford's intentions or whether the veteran big man was reckless.

In the case of his previous foot sprain, the two-time MVP was injured March 16 and missed the remainder of the regular season before returning for the postseason April 16.

Even if it's a more minor sprain this time, Curry's health could be a major storyline in the series. While he may be healthy enough to play, one full day of rest may not provide the time necessary for the foot to not bother him.

With Golden State down 2-1, the team could be in trouble if the 6'2" sharpshooter isn't at his best.

Warriors fans are probably having flashbacks to the 2016 Finals when Curry seemed to be less than 100 percent as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed their improbable comeback.

Should history repeat itself, Horford's fall is likely to take on an added significance and be even more of a sore point for many in the Bay Area.

The 2022 NBA Finals does not have a clear-cut favorite through two games.

The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors alternated wins inside the Chase Center. Boston took Game 1 behind an emphatic fourth quarter, and Golden State won Game 2 thanks to a tremendous third quarter.

Both teams have displayed dominance in certain instances but not over four quarters yet.

The series shifts to Boston on Wednesday, with the pressure squarely on the Celtics' shoulders to take advantage of playing at their home court and take a two-game lead.

Golden State will not go down easily, though, and it might even win if Klay Thompson discovers his shooting stroke from three-point range.

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Both Teams Need To Avoid Concession Of Second-Half Runs

The primary theme of Games 1 and 2 was the dominant second-half runs put in by each team.

Boston produced a plus-24 point differential in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to neutralize Golden State's offense and take away the impact of the Warriors' typical third quarter run.

Golden State countered in Game 2 by pulling away in the third stanza. The Warriors had a plus-21 point differential in Sunday's third quarter.

Boston needs to find a way to neutralize Stephen Curry and Co. in the third quarter. The Warriors were plus-14 in the third quarter of Game 1.

Golden State holds a 35-point advantage in the 12 minutes after halftime in the series. If that trend continues, the Warriors should pull away in a few more games and win the title.

Ime Udoka's Celtics need to focus on a strong start inside TD Garden, but they also need to make the proper adjustments coming out of halftime to avoid losing home-court advantage.

Part of the third-quarter adjustments will come from things both teams are doing well in the first half of Game 3, but Boston can prepare mentally for the third quarter before Wednesday's tipoff.

Golden State shot 13-for-25 from three-point range in the third quarter of Games 1 and 2. Boston can tighten up its perimeter defense coming out of halftime to prevent Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and others from igniting runs in the third.

The Warriors made the adjustment to Boston's fourth-quarter surge in Game 1 by just pummeling the Celtics in the third frame and playing better on the three-point line.

Boston was 12-for-20 from three in the second half of Game 1 and 5-for-18 from deep in Game 2.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. could eliminate the potential of the third quarter Warriors taking over by getting off to a fast start, but that has been difficult to do in the series. Both halftime leads in San Francisco were two points.

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Klay Thompson Must Be Better For Golden State

Thompson is the one star player who has yet to arrive to the NBA Finals.

Curry went off for 21 points in the first quarter of Game 1, Brown starred in the fourth-quarter comeback on Thursday, and Tatum went off for 28 points in Game 2 after dishing out 13 assists in Game 1.

Thompson is 10-for-33 from the field and 4-for-15 from three-point range in the series. Steve Kerr left him on the floor in the fourth quarter of Game 2 to try to get his three-point shot going.

That move was unsuccessful, but it did show how much Thompson means to Golden State's title quest. The coaching staff wanted him to knock down a few shots to kick-start his confidence ahead of the move to Boston.

Thompson's struggles could be fixed by an early shot going down in Game 3. That could ignite a run like Curry, Brown, Derrick White and Al Horford were on from deep in Game 1 and the one Jordan Poole produced in Game 2.

Poole covered Thompson's lack of production with a 17-point outburst in Game 2. That was the second-best scoring total on the Warriors roster behind Curry on Sunday night.

Golden State can't rely on Poole to provide the offensive support of Curry. It needs Thompson to be better either from three-point range, or attacking the rim in order to combat what Boston throws at it on its home floor.

Crunch time has yet to take center stage during the 2022 NBA Finals. Officially, anyway.

Inevitably, though, this will change. And when it does, who will the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors lean on to get them by?

These two teams have played around 20 seconds in which the differential between them was no greater than five points inside the final five minutes. This brief stretch came in Game 1, amid Beantown's raging fourth-quarter comeback, which featured plenty of high-leverage moments and, therefore, some clues as to how both sides will handle themselves during traditional, by-the-book clutch time.

To be sure: Spitting out lineups for the Celtics and Warriors to rely upon when it matters most isn't only about weighting a snapshot of basketball. It's about the series in its entirety—what we've seen thus far, what's worked versus what hasn't and which unit is best built to navigate whatever combination the other team might roll out.

What Should Be the Celtics' Go-to Closing Lineup?

This should be a completely situational, if not overly complicated, question for the Celtics to answer. Their propensity for dual-big lineups and the ease with which they can pivot to five-out arrangements give them an armory of capable possibilities.

Theoretically.

Sticking with the starting five—Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams III—has quickly devolved into a no-go. That quintet was outscored by eight points over 14 minutes in Game 1 and then posted a minus-four through 10 minutes in Game 2.

Its matchup with Golden State's own open five—Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney—has been even worse. The Warriors' starters own a 19-point advantage across a 21-minute sample while downing 45.5 percent of their three-pointers and grabbing an annihilatory 46.2 percent of their own misses.

Golden State's offensive rebounding rate during this time is a gargantuan concern for Boston. What's the point of playing big if you're not capping second-chance opportunities? Mat Issa of The Analyst perfectly encapsulated the dilemma facing the Celtics in the larger context of this series:

"Well, as we saw in the Memphis series in which the Warriors topped the bigger, more athletic Grizzlies on the offensive glass, the group unlocks these second chances by leveraging their all-time exterior gravity. The attention Curry, Thompson and Jordan Poole demand from behind the arc stretches defenses out, leaving cracks for Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney to slither into for offensive rebounds (plus, the way the ball bounces off 3-point misses is much more difficult to predict than shots closer to the rim)."

Boston's performance in the Starters vs. Starters minutes is especially problematic given these stretches don't even represent the spaciest version of the Warriors. Golden State can put Green in the corner, but a frontline of he and Looney still counts as fielding two non-shooters. If the Celtics can't buy time for the Horford-RW3 duo against that group, they can't hope for better results when the Warriors sub out Looney for Poole, Otto Porter Jr. or Gary Payton II.

Pulling RW3 and keeping the other four on the court is Boston's most logical option—and might even be an adjustment they must consider to start games.

Horford is moving better away from the basket than his younger frontcourt sidekick, who suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee at the end of March. As Basketball News' Nekias Duncan noted during an exhaustive breakdown of RW3's struggles this series:

"The Celtics have taken their chances with Andrew Wiggins as the Williams matchup, an option that's been mentioned in this space before the Finals began. In theory, Wiggins is the safest bet. He doesn't screen as often (or as well) as Looney. He doesn't offer the same blend of screening and playmaking as Draymond does. He surely doesn't shoot as well as the Curry/Thompson/Poole triumvirate. You worry about Wiggins as a driver, but it gives you a lesser-of-evils vibe. The Warriors have already started to poke at that matchup."

Golden State is averaging 1.13 points per possession as a team when RW3 registers as a defender on Wiggins. Boston has not been any better off when RW3 spends time on Looney (1.50 points per possession allowed) and doesn't seem inclined to test him against Draymond. Unless the Warriors decide to close with Andre Iguodala, who missed Game 2, the Celtics may find this just isn't an RW3 series.

Head coach Ime Udoka may actually already be there. RW3 tallied just 14 minutes during Boston's 107-88 loss in Game 2 after going for 24 minutes during their Game 1 victory. And if we're operating under the assumption the Horford-RW3 frontcourt is untenable in crunch time, the Celtics don't have anywhere else to turn other than Derrick White.

Sure, they can try preserving the dual-big look with Grant Williams or Daniel Theis. That's not very palatable. Grant Williams has played three minutes with the other four starters in this series, and it hasn't gone particularly well. Boston, meanwhile, hasn't tested out a Horford-Theis pairing—which is probably the right call.

The White-plus-starters combo was instrumental to Boston's Game 1 victory, outscoring the Warriors by 13 points in seven minutes. It didn't fare as well in Game 2 (minus-eight in eight minutes), but the Celtics didn't get to that fivesome nearly early enough, either.

Opting for White over RW3 juices up Boston's defensive mobility on the perimeter, and the former takes enough threes for the resulting quintet to check the five-out box. Perhaps the Warriors demand the Celtics travel a different path if they close with both Draymond and Looney. But even then, Boston is likely better off trying to capitalize on the offensive mismatches created in Small vs. Big situations.

Verdict: Boston's go-to closing lineup should be Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.

What Should be the Warriors' Go-to Closing Lineup?

For all the ado over the Warriors' "Poole Party" lineup, their most talked-about small-ball unit hasn't played an integral part in this series. The combination of Curry, Poole, Thompson, Wiggins and Green was a minus-nine through three minutes during Game 1 and then didn't see the court in Game 2.

That isn't necessarily telltale of anything. Poole proved to be a liability at both ends in Game 1 but was significantly better on offense during the latter half of Game 2. If the Warriors faced any resistance from the Celtics whatsoever after the third quarter, they might have revisited the Poole Party makeup.

Closing with the starters is, of course, in play. That fivesome is a plus-19 through 29 minutes in this series—success dramatic enough to be Golden State's default crunch-time crutch.

But holding serve with Green and Looney up front loses luster if Boston, as already suggested and expected, closes with Smart, White, Brown, Tatum and Horford. Golden State has almost entirely avoided using both Green and Looney against that five-out gaggle. Looney specifically has seen his time on the bench just about perfectly mirror the stretches in which Boston goes with Horford and four perimeter players.

This will lead many back to the Poole Party clique. But the Warriors have other configurations in mind.

Curry, GP2, Wiggins, Porter and Green was the Warriors' second-most-used lineup in Game 2 and delivered molten-hot results across an eight-minute sample. It's hard to envision Thompson riding the bench during crunch time, but GP2 offers more defensive pressure at this point, and such an awkward call gets a tad easier if Klay isn't raining hellfire upon Boston.

Really liked the two-way juice of the Steph-GP2-Wiggins-OPJ-Dray lineup last night. Warriors were +9 during its 8 minutes together. Good mix of offensive and defensive personnel.

— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) June 6, 2022

The Warriors also tried GP2-plus-starters in Game 2, as well as the super-small combination of Curry, Poole, GP2, Thompson and Green. The latter seems too nuclear for the highest-stakes possessions; that's a lot of size to give up on the perimeter, and Wiggins is almost a nonnegotiable inclusion relative to how much time he logs opposite Tatum.

Remove sentiment from the equation, and the Curry-GP2-Wiggins-Porter-Green lineup oozes the most appeal. It gives the Warriors four shooters around Draymond—Payton hit 35.8 percent of his 120 three-point attempts this season—while still playing four of their five best defenders (GP2, Wiggins, Porter, Green). But sidelining both Poole and Thompson adds a layer of combustibility.

Poole is the team's second-best off-the-dribble creator. Thompson is its second-best shooter. There is too much offensive variability in a closing lineup without either of them, one in which Wiggins takes on the second-best-shot-creator role.

Turning to the GP2-plus-starters model makes the most sense. GP2 can guard up and won't be targeted like Poole on defense, and the Warriors should get more than enough supplementary creation from Thompson and Wiggins to protect the offense against sloggy stretches.

Verdict: Golden State's go-to closing lineup should be Stephen Curry, Gary Payton II, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to his Hardwood Knocks podcast.