NBA Finals MVP race: is Steph Curry on his way to his first trophy after Game 2 performance?
It’s the one missing accolade for the Warriors superstar: the Bill Russell award...but maybe not for long. Game 2′s win came largely because of Curry.
From the moment the Golden State Warriors found out they’d play the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, it was Stephen Curry who was favored to win the Finals MVP award. Since then, it’s remained the same.
Curry has been by far the best player for Golden State, putting up 34 points in Game 1 and 29 in Game 2. The series is tied 1-1 after the Warriors won Game 2 and that’s thanks in large part to Curry himself. He played his best in the third quarter, scoring 14 of his game-high 29 points, leading the Warriors to outscore the Celtics 35-14. Unlike in Game 1, the Warriors held onto the lead in the fourth, and easily so, winning 107-88.
To add to his 29 points, Curry also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and five three-pointers. When the Warriors needed a shot from deep, Curry was right there to deliver, even from crazy distances. All those stats happened in 32 minutes, as Curry sat out the full fourth quarter. He is averaging 31.5 points per game over the two Finals games so far and has gone 12-for-26 on three-pointers. Sounds like an MVP to me.
“Steph Curry was breathtaking in that third quarter,” said Steve Kere, Golden State Warriors coach said. “Not just the shotmaking, but the defensive effort. He just doesn’t get enough credit for his level of conditioning, physicality, and defense.”
If the Warriors win the series, it would be shocking if Curry was not the one to win the Finals MVP award. Though he’s one of the best players in the NBA and has several other accomplishments to brag about, that’s one he’s missed out on three times. In 2015, 2017, and 2018, Curry lost that title to his teammates Andre Iguodala and Kevin Durant, and rightfully so. He played incredible. They just played a tad more so, and made the difference in the wins.
This time around, Curry leads the race without a doubt. Another Warriors player would have to really show out to take the lead in the Finals MVP race at this point. If the Celtics win it all, the winner would not be so clear, as Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum are all contributing in significant ways for Boston. If the Warriors do win though, this year really would be a robbery if we see anyone but Steph Curry walking away with that award.
Game 3 will be played in Boston on Wednesday, June 8 at 9 p..m ET.