After a more or less lenient start to the season in terms of the schedule, Stephen Curry and the Warriors had a first test to pass by traveling to Boston, home of the reigning champion. Proof that the Californians were aware that this big match was important, even if we are still early in the season: Steve Kerr's demand for a simple action in the first period.
“We are not the same team as five or six years ago, where we could give up five or six possessions to create chaos”, analyzes the coachWho let out a shout on his playmaker in the second quarter, guilty of losing a ball a little stupidly with a long intercepted pass, which turned into Jayson Tatum's winning basket.
Stephen Curry accepts being yelled at
“I will always have the backs of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. It's their job since they are our leaders and they carry the ball a lot. They need to reduce their number of bad decisions”insists the coach, in a speech accepted by his star. “The beautiful thing about him is that he lets me yell at him. He accepts it. »
“I want to be coached like anyone else. I don't get hurt if someone yells at me for doing something stupid. Especially when it leads to a 3-point basket afterwards. We can avoid this”responds the MVP of the 2022 Finals, who will not lose a ball in the game and will finish with 27 points in this victory.
Because this anecdote cannot make us forget the great performance of the Warriors, who solidly won this shock. Buddy Hield even talks about “message”. “If we had lost, everyone would have said we hadn’t played anyone. So we had to send a message outside. This is how the basketball world works”, explains the shooter.
A first big successful test
An observation which is not shared by Stephen Curry, who does not wish to ignite. “We haven’t done anything yet. A good team wins the matches it is supposed to win, steals a few away against good teams and performs at home. We've done that so far, but we still have two away matches, two tests. I am satisfied with our current position but clearly there is still a way to go. »
The next two meetings will indeed be of the same ilk with trips to Cleveland (9-0) and Oklahoma City (7-1). Complicated turns but which will be approached with the confidence of this success in Boston. Even if, once again, in Golden State, we don't jump to the ceiling.
“The Celtics didn’t have Jaylen Brown or Kristaps Porzingis, so this isn’t their best version. They nevertheless remain very good and it’s a big victory in a not easy environment,” tempers Steve Kerr. “It was a big test. We didn’t do anything at all, but it feels good”summarizes Stephen Curry.
