A dazzling performance from Stephen Curry powered the Golden State Warriors to a seventh NBA Finals crown on Thursday, securing a 103-90 victory over the Boston Celtics to clinch a 4-2 series triumph. Warriors talisman Curry produced yet another masterpiece with 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds as Golden State wrapped up their fourth title in eight years to silence Boston’s raucous TD Garden.
The 34-year-old Curry was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after the victory — the first time the four-time NBA champion has scooped the award.
“It will hurt for a while…obviously getting to your ultimate goal and fall a few games short is going to hurt. After cutting the Boston lead to six points at 22-16, the Warriors pulled away, with Green, Curry and Poole all rattling in three-pointers to put Golden State into a 27-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. Two more Poole three-pointers in the opening moments of the second quarter helped the Warriors sprint into a 15-point lead, up 37-22 after a 21-0 run – the largest run in NBA Finals history. The Warriors maintained the 15-point advantage up to half-time, leading 54-39 at the break. Curry ominously looked increasingly comfortable from beyond the arc, and a step back three from 28 feet put the Warriors into a 72-50 lead – a 22-point margin their biggest lead of the night in the third quarter. Green settled the Warriors nerves with an ice-cold jumper from 21 feet to help ensure the Warriors would take a double-digit advantage into the final quarter, leading 76-66.
“It’s going to hurt,” Udoka said.
