"Steph Curry is just getting hunted and abused on defense; Hard to watch!" - Skip Bayless highly critical of 3x champion's defense during Game 3 of NBA Finals, questions his "All-Time Top 10" credentials
Skip Bayless has taken a dig at Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry's defense during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
The Boston Celtics' frontcourt of Jayson Tatum and Al Horford took advantage of their mismatch against Curry on several possessions during the game.
Here's what the Bayless wrote on Twitter:
"Steph Curry is just getting hunted and abused on defense. Hard to watch. All-time Top 10???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"
Steph Curry is just getting hunted and abused on defense. Hard to watch. All-time Top 10???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Steph Curry has been remarkable on defense for most of this series, but that wasn't the case during Game 3. He had three fouls in the first half alone, which prevented him from taking an aggressive approach on defense.
The Golden State Warriors, in general, struggled to cope with the Boston Celtics' superior athleticism and size. The Celtics gained a massive advantage in the paint as they outscored and outrebounded the Warriors efficiently.
Jayson Tatum and company were +19 in the rebounding department while scoring 52 points in the paint. They were excellent with their interior defense, limiting Golden State to only 26 points in the paint. This helped Boston take a dominant 18-point lead during the first half.
This is as bad as the Warriors have rebounded in these playoffs. Six offensive rebounds, 13 second chance points for the Celtics already (with two Horford free throws to come). Total rebounds: 21-8 Celtics.
Boston Celtics' dominant fourth quarter cancels another heroic performance from Steph Curry in the third period
The Boston Celtics returned to winning ways with a 116-100 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. They are up 2-1 and are only a couple of wins away from winning a record 18th NBA championship.
The Golden State Warriors fought hard and registered another third-quarter avalanche behind Steph Curry's heroics.
Third quarter points in this series
Warriors: 106
Celtics: 63
They've gone +14, +21 and now +8
Curry scored 15 points during that stretch, making four of five shots from the 3-point line and five of eight overall. He also had an incredible four-point play against Al Horford.
STEPH CURRY AND ONE.
Keeping the Warriors in this one
(via @NBATV)
https://t.co/U7h8VvqOOx
His run during that period helped the Golden State Warriors erase an 18-point deficit and take their first lead of the match. However, the Warriors couldn't sustain the marginal two-point advantage, heading into the fourth quarter with a four-point deficit.
Golden State squandered the opportunity to stay close behind the Celtics in the fourth quarter. Boston stretched their advantage to 23-11 in the final 12 minutes of the game to seal the win.
Steph Curry scored a team-high 31 points for the Golden State Warriors, shooting 12 of 22 from the floor, including six of 11 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson returned to form with a 25-point outing as he made five of 13 shots from long distance.
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum & Marcus Smart are the first trio to each have 20 pts, 5 rebs and 5 ast in a Finals game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper in 1984 https://t.co/tsiPQ4E5gJ
Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart turned up big-time for the home team, as they each recorded 20-point outings on the night.
Golden State and Boston will once again face each other at TD Garden on Friday (June 10) in Game 4.