Steph Curry had an off-shooting night in Monday’s Warriors’ Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics, and the world is doing what it normally does after a bad night from the superstar – talk.
As usual, Stephen A. Smith chimed in and defended Curry on ESPN’s first take Tuesday morning.
While the Splash Bro finished with just 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting and missed a three for the first time in his playoff career, Smith gives no credit to Boston’s defense.
“Steph Curry was 0-9 from 3 point range last night, I counted at least four 3 point shots where he was wide open. He just missed it, that’s happening,” Smith said. “He is the greatest archer that God ever created. I’ve never seen anyone shoot the basketball like he does. He’s entitled. it happens, okay? I’m not worried about that at all.
“We came on fresh from a 43-point performance by Steph Curry in Game 4 on 14-of-26 shooting last night. What the hell do you mean you found him out? A game because he missed it? Suddenly they found him out? That’s just idiotic. To anyone who thinks that, it’s idiotic.”
‘What the hell do you mean ‘found him out’?’ A game because he missed it, suddenly they found him out? This is just idiotic.â€
–@stephanasmith doesn’t think Steph’s bad shooting is due to Boston’s defense rather than Curry just having a bad game. pic.twitter.com/I7gkxTc08a
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 14, 2022
Before Game 5, Curry was averaging 34 points on 50 percent shots from the field and 49 percent shots from behind the arc.
And after Curry’s historically incredible double-double performance in Game 4, the Celtics were expected to make several adjustments to better lock him in.
But Smith said he didn’t see any real change from a defensive perspective, only that Curry missed shots.
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“The point I’m trying to make is that he was just off the mark last night,” Smith said. “But I didn’t see the Boston Celtics in the form of a hand on his face. At the end of the day, contested, uncontested, I saw the same number of opportunities and the same number of contested shots that he made just last night. Last night was a fight, let’s see what happens in game 6. I’m ready to stake my check, you won’t see another oh-fer from Steph Curry from 3-point range. I’ll bet my check on that. I don’t see that.”
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