Stephen Curry and the Warriors prove their viability in a big test against the Celtics

For his final shot, Stephen Curry used a screen from Draymond Green to get Al Horford on him. All the way out at the half court line, Curry leaned over and dribbled, the Boston Celtics centered on his hip as he waited for space to clear.

Horford has been to this island before.

Curry suddenly took off and easily blew past Horford as the clock dipped under 50 seconds. Boston worked hard to take away his 3-pointer. But Curry’s drive did damage. Derrick White, the star Celtics guard, left his man to cut off Curry in the paint. All the while, Jayson Tatum stood on the left wing watching Curry. Rightfully so. The Golden State Warriors were up by four and needed a basket to secure the win. This is the time to focus on Curry.

Tatum had seen this movie before.

What Tatum didn’t see was the man he was defending drifting along the sideline. Curry’s ninth assist was easy. Buddy Hield was wide open on the right wing. Ball game.

BUDDY HIELD
CLUTCH!!!!

@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/CvQGhKrie0

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) 7 November 2024

This certainly felt like a familiar scare to Boston fans. Curry terrorizes their team. Some of the edge has been removed since the Celtics captured the banner he denied them in 2022. Still, Curry mocks the Celtics in a special way, most recently a 118-112 Warriors victory Wednesday at TD Garden.

Those who disparage the culinary skills of a man’s wife serve themselves as a nemesis.

In that sense, Boston was the perfect foe in the Warriors’ first “real” game against a truly elite opponent. Their 6-1 start, as surprising as it was, lacked the weight of a big win.

But on Wednesday night, Curry delivered one to his cohorts. His 27 points were typical. More importantly, his finish was a game that vindicated the Warriors’ start to the season.

It was a stifling defensive performance by the Warriors that exposed one of the league’s most potent attacks. It was an uptempo offense as the Warriors backed off from the 3-point line in favor of applying pressure in transition. The Celtics, as they do, hoisted a ton of 3s. They scored 19 out of 54.

But in the end, when it came time to win, the Warriors had the best player on the floor. And if they can get him to that point, he can still deliver at 36.

The Celtics helped the Warriors prove their theory in what amounts to their biggest test so far this season. Their defensive aggression, their ball movement, their movement and most of all their depth make them viable.

Warriors come in waves. They have two units they can throw at teams. They have variations they can conjure up – from big and defensive to athletic and long to quick with shooting. Their style of play requires commitment. One, to be at peace with whatever the role is, at least for the time being. Two, to show up, leave nothing to chance. Their hunger is palpable.

“That’s how we’re going to play it,” Curry said. “And we’ve talked about it. Coach (Steve Kerr) talked about it until he’s already blue in the face. Like every practice, every film session, every pregame talk — it’s the same message. So that’s who we are right now. That’s who we’re supposed to be.”

The Warriors did it with their new staple – perimeter ball pressure – and a tethered response to their individual aggressiveness. Not only are they out past the 3-point line and applying pressure, they rotate with a noted desperation. The utility defender in their scheme drops with the thirst of a vulture and benefits from the league’s longer streak of physicality.

They can play this way because they have the body. They can play this way because they have bought into the mentality. They can play this way because they have a dominant quarterback on both ends of the field.

In defense, Green orchestrates a pack of wolves. One of the great telltale signs of a defensive mindset is on completions. The Warriors rarely don’t run out on 3s. Even when they’re late in the rotation, even when an assignment is skipped, Green or Andrew Wiggins or Gary Payton II or Kyle Anderson still always sprint to the contest.

The defensive identity is visibly forming.

“Just our activity,” Kevon Looney said. “We were flying around. We were really physical. They missed some shots. They missed some 3s. But we made them uncomfortable. I feel like we were able to get them out of their spots and they weren’t in able to get a rhythm.”

It is also evident in Curry. Because of the depth, he can be fresh enough to play both ends with focus and ruthlessness. Because he doesn’t have to force the action and can let the offense take the rock where it can, he can pick his spots instead of feeling the need to save them.

So when the end of the game came, he was able to do to Boston what he does to Boston.

The Warriors were down 95-88 with just over six minutes left. A Curry steal led to a Wiggins layup at the other end. Next down, Curry fought off a screen to stay connected to White, leaving Wiggins on Tatum. Curry didn’t just accept the trade the Celtics wanted.

Tatum missed a 3 and Curry followed by getting fouled on a 3-pointer. Next down, Curry drilled an open 3 from the left wing after Boston blew a defensive assignment. Soon after, Curry’s rebound and quick layup led to a Hield layup.

It was obvious what was happening. A repetition of a scene, although the pieces are different. When Curry set up the final dagger, he threw the ball off and watched as if he knew it was going in. It wasn’t Klay Thompson. It was Hield who shot the lights out.

The response from White was as if it was Thompson. After cutting off Curry in the lane, he saw what was developing and covered for Tatum. With everything he had, he ran out to Hield, leapt into the air, hoping to distract the shooter. But White was too late. The net splash was almost inevitable.

White had felt that inevitability before.

(Top photo of Buddy Hield and Stephen Curry celebrating during Wednesday’s game: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)