Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry named NBA Finals MVP for 1st time in career

BOSTON — Stephen Curry pulled up from 29-feet out and buried another 3-point dagger before pointing to his right ring finger in the third quarter of Game 6.

Underneath Boston's historic championship banners and on the Celtics' hallowed parquet floor, Curry didn't just put another ring on it but he cemented his future Hall of Fame legacy by joining an exclusive legendary group with his first NBA Finals MVP trophy.

Curry won his fourth championship and the one honor that had eluded him when he was named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after leading the Golden State Warriors to a 103-90 win in Game 6 to eliminate the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Eleven voters from national media outlets voted Curry as the MVP of the 2022 Finals. Curry finished with 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the series clincher, giving him 30 or more in three straight games at Boston. The last opponent to do that in the postseason was LeBron James in 2017.

In six games against the Celtics, Curry averaged 31.2 points, six rebounds and five assists. He shot 48% from the field and 44% from 3-point range.

«You know this is what it's all about — playing for a championship and what we've been through the last three years,» a tearful Curry told ESPN's Lisa Salters in an interview immediately after the game. «Beginning of the season, no one thought we'd be here except everybody on this court right now. It's amazing. It's very surreal, though, very surreal.»

On Thursday, he hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, including one with 6:15 left in the third that pushed the Warriors up by 22 when he celebrated by pointing to his ring finger as Boston called for timeout.

But Curry's signature Finals MVP game came when he swung the