“Shakespeare came out with a bad play, but he does have to defend himself?… I saw Michael Jordan in a close-out game shoot 26 percent” - Colin Cowherd not concerned by Steph Curry’s shooting slump in Game 5
While the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 104-94 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Steph Curry shot poorly. The two-time MVP went 7-for-22 from the field, 2-for-3 from the free-throw line and did not make a single 3-point shot.
Curry's 0-for-9 night from 3-point range was one of the most surprising developments from Monday, as it ended a fantastic streak. Going into Game 5, Curry held the NBA record for consecutive playoff and regular-season games with at least one 3-pointer: 233.
Steph Curry missed all nine of his 3-point attempts in Game 5.
Ending an NBA-record 233 consecutive games (reg and postseason) with at least one made 3-pointer 🤯 https://t.co/Y3L6Pg738f
Still, Fox Sports 1's Colin Cowherd is not concerned about Curry's Game 5 3-point struggles. On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," he said:
"Steph Curry did not hit a 3-pointer. Oh, my lord. My takeaway: So what? I mean, does Steph Curry at this point need to defend his shooting? He's the greatest shooter in the history of the league. Shakespeare comes out with a bad play; what, does he have to defend himself? At some point, this is what he does better than anybody ever. He actually played well."
Curry has established himself as an all-time great shooter and statistically the best 3-point shooter ever. Cowherd also pointed out that other greats like Michael Jordan had poor performances.
"I saw Michael Jordan in a close-out game shoot 26 percent. They won. I saw Tom Brady in his first year in Tampa, NFC championship game, I think it was against Green Bay, was terrible, and they won. Warriors won, and, for the record, Steph, Michael, Brady, when they have these clunkers, they are usually great the next game."
If Curry is great in the next game, the Warriors could win the NBA championship. Even if Curry is not great, Golden State has the formula to win without his shooting.
Steph Curry didn't hit a 3-pointer last night...
"So what? Shakespeare came out with a bad play. Does he have to defend himself?" — @ColinCowherd https://t.co/cGmxSbX2eJ
Steph Curry's 3-point shooting may not be vital to winning the NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors
While Steph Curry is statistically the best shooter of all time, the Warriors may not need his shooting to win a championship. In Game 5, Curry contributed in other ways and received help from his teammates.
The threat of Curry's shooting and his contributions in other areas made the difference in Game 5. Colin Cowherd pointed out how impactful Curry was despite not making a single 3-pointer.
During the 2022 playoffs, the Warriors did well when not relying on Curry shooting spectacularly.
The Warriors are 5-1 this playoffs when Steph Curry is not their leading scorer. https://t.co/rJgn8l981U
If his teammates play well in Game 6 on Thursday in Boston, Curry and the Warriors could be champions for the fourth time since 2015.