NBA Finals 2022: Was Steph Curry's Game 4 his best game ever?
Stephen Curry's dazzling 43-point performance on Friday lifted the Golden State Warriors to a win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, evening the series with the Boston Celtics, 2-2.
Game 4 was arguably Curry’s greatest Finals game of all time. His 43 points scored are his second-most ever in a Finals game (he scored 47 against Toronto to force a Game 6 in 2019).
He added 10 rebounds — eight of which he grabbed on the defensive end — and made a pair of baskets during a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that turned a four-point Boston edge into a 100-94 Golden State lead.
What's more, Curry, the 2022 NBA Finals MVP favorite, pulled all of this off after hurting his foot in Game 3.
It was a great performance, but was it Curry's best game ever?
Chris Broussard says it was.
On Monday's "First Things First," Broussard compared Curry's performance to Michael Jordan's famous "Flu Game," when the Bulls legend willed himself to 38 points against the Utah Jazz in a pivotal Game 5 of the 1997 Finals to give Chicago the series lead, all while battling severe flu-like symptoms.
"This was Steph's moment. This was his ‘Flu Game.' This was his Isiah Thomas scoring 25 points in the third quarter on a bad ankle because he had a bad foot. … This was his Allen Iverson, Game 1, 48 points against the [Los Angeles] Lakers in 2001. That's what this was," Broussard exclaimed.
"We will look back years from now, win or lose in this series, … and say, ‘Man, that Steph Curry performance in Game 4 was phenomenal.’ … [He hit] four 3s in the third quarter, and each of them [was] a huge shot. [The Warriors] were trailing each time he hit the 3, and it meant something."
Steph Curry scores 43 points, carries GSW to Game 4 win
Broussard's cohost Nick Wright echoed his thoughts, saying that the 34-year-old superstar rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
"The moment demanded a masterpiece, and Steph delivered a masterpiece," Wright said. "That was the best game of Steph's career. … It was better than Game 5 against the [Cleveland Cavaliers] in 2015 because … this was a must-win. [The Warriors] couldn't go down 3-1 in this spot. … 40-point double-doubles in the Finals — they matter."
Curry shot 14-for-26 from the floor and 7-for-14 from 3-point range in Golden State's 107-97 win. In these Finals, he is averaging 34.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 rebounds and two steals per game.
In the entire 2021-22 postseason, Curry has shot 46.1% from the field and 40.7% from distance.
On "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe revealed that he has no doubt that Curry, who he referred to as "sensational" and putting up a "Herculean effort" for Golden State, has hit his stride in this series.
"Steph Curry won Game 4," he said. "On Friday night, [Curry] said, ‘Guys, get on my back. … We're not taking a five-and-a-half, six-hour flight back to The Bay with an L on our resume. I refuse to let that happen.' … And he made big shot after big shot after big shot. In the first half, he scored 19. It was a great job by him just to have [Golden State] only down by five. … He's averaging 13 points in the third quarter alone, shooting 60% from the 3. … Steph Curry is leading the Finals in fourth-quarter scoring.
"He [has] been phenomenal. He was even more exceptional Friday night than he had been at any point in time in the series. … I believe Friday night might have been his greatest Finals performance. … It might have been his best playoff moment given the magnitude of what was at stake."
Steph Curry's dazzling 43 points leads GSW to Game 4 win
Game 5 shifts to San Francisco on Monday, as the teams battle for a crucial series lead. The Warriors, who are in the Finals for the sixth time in eight years, are aiming for their fourth title since 2015, while the Celtics are making their first Finals appearance since 2010 and looking for their first title since 2008.
