The Golden State Warriors found themselves in their first closeout game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals when they lost to the Toronto Raptors. The rust showed for two and a half quarters while they played listless and unorganized as a team.
But sometimes, it can be a real positive to have a player like Stephen Curry on your team to get the job done.
11-2 run for the good guys 😎
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 28, 2022
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/9WMBcIwL1M
Despite falling behind by as many as ten points in the third quarter, entering the fourth quarter on the ropes, Chef Curry led the charge with a furious scoring binge in the final period to survive the Denver Nuggets 102-98. The win closed out the series 4-1 to advance Golden State to the next round, where they wait on the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies/Minnesota Timberwolves series.
Curry welcomed himself back into the starting lineup with 30 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field, sinking five shots from beyond the arc in 38 minutes.
30 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 28, 2022
In crunch time, @StephenCurry30 delivered 💪 pic.twitter.com/QMFO918b0P
Curry scored 20 points in the second half and closed out his showcase by dribbling through nearly the entire Nuggets team Harlem Globetrotter style before his layup put the Warriors up by five with 29.9 seconds left. Then he looked into the crowd and gave his newest curtain call.
30 came up clutch in winning time.@PlayStation || Play Has No Limits pic.twitter.com/axgRnlSmMq
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 28, 2022
The Warriors superstar shared how the Warriors had to be reminded how hard it is to close out teams in the playoffs.
“I think you can see these first three quarters, we forgot what it felt like to try to close out a game,” Curry said via Yahoo Sports. “The nerves, the energy in the building … We still know how to do it, but we kind of had to grind it out. It’s a good feeling to go out there and get the win.”
Curry even found time to pass Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving for 24th place all-time on the NBA’s playoff scoring list.
Golden State waits until Sunday to start playing in the second round against the winner of the Memphis-Minnesota series.
