SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors won Game 4 because Stephen Curry was an unstoppable force. In Game 5, Curry looked mortal — 0-of-9 from 3, breaking his 132-game playoff streak with at least one made 3.
The Warriors won anyway thanks to a tremendous defensive effort, plenty of depth, and building up of role players to be ready for these moments.
That’s particularly true of Andrew Wiggins, who was the best player on the floor in a Finals game. “I thought Gary Payton and Wiggs and Draymond [Green] really keyed our defensive effort to hold that team to 94 points,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s what it takes to win a Finals game.
It’s got to be about the defense.” And about the poise to play in pressure-packed moments. The Celtics flipped the script on this series and dominated the third, hitting six straight 3s and erasing a 12-point Warriors lead at the half to take their own lead.