"I think Steph was probably due for a game like this" - Steve Kerr's candid response after Steph Curry goes 0-for-9 from 3 in important Game 5 of NBA Finals, says, "Even for the best shooter in the world, games like this happen"
Steph Curry got help at the right time on Monday night. After singlehandedly helping the Golden State Warriors even the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Curry had an underwhelming shooting night in Game 5.
Nonetheless, the Warriors clinched a 104-94 victory at Chase Center. Andrew Wiggins recorded 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Klay Thompson had 21 points on 5-of-11 3-point shooting. The two stars stepped up to hand the Celtics their first two straight defeats of the playoffs.
Curry finished with 16 points on 7-of-22 (31.8%) shooting in what was his first sub-25-point outing in the finals.
Curry was averaging 34.3 points per game on 50.0% shooting over the first four contests. However, he couldn't maintain that pace after dropping 43 points on 14-of-26 shooting (53.8%) in Game 4.
All of these were the longest such streaks in NBA history 😱 https://t.co/31r7pKDLum
The biggest talking point around Steph Curry's struggles, however, was his inability to knock down a triple in nine attempts in Game 5.
This meant that Curry's 233-game streak of making at least one 3-point shot in the regular season and playoffs combined came to an end.
Curry's failure to land a 3-point shot also meant that his run of 132 career playoff games with at least one triple had ended.
Steve Kerr on the Warriors making up for Steph Curry’s off shooting night https://t.co/2XBhgZwnUp
Speaking on the eight-time All-Star's struggles in Game 5, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said:
"I think Steph was probably due for a game like this. He’s been shooting the ball so well that, at some point, he was going to have a tough night."
Steve Kerr: "I think Steph was probably due for a game like this. He’s been shooting the ball so well that, at some point, he was going to have a tough night."
Steve Kerr says he likes Steph Curry "coming off of a game like this"
Kerr also told the media that he endorsed Steph Curry's off shooting night. He said:
"I like Steph coming off of a game like this."
Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry: "I like Steph coming off of a game like this."
Kerr implied that it was only human for Curry to regress a little, given that he had knocked down 25 threes over the first four games at 49.0% efficiency. He told the media:
“Even for the best shooter in the world, games like this happen … fortunately doesn’t happen often.”
Steve Kerr on Steph Curry's rough shooting night:
“Even for the best shooter in the world, games like this happen… fortunately doesn’t happen often.”
Irrespective of his struggles on Monday night, Steph Curry is only one win away from being a four-time NBA champ.
Despite his low score in Game 5, he is still averaging 30.6 points per game on 46.6% shooting in the finals. He also boasts 41.7% shooting from downtown. This makes him the overwhelming favorite to win the Finals MVP award.