It was questionable whether Steph Curry would suit up against the red-hot Boston Celtics on Sunday, March 3. A knee injury nearly prevented him from playing, but the Golden State Warriors star took to the floor. He probably wishes he didn’t.
Curry, viewed by many as the greatest shooter in NBA history, missed all of his 3-point attempts and finished with a season-low four points. He didn’t play the second half as the Celtics cruised to a 140-88 victory to win their 11th straight game.
Steph Curry’s Two Early Airballs Set the Tone for the Game
The Warriors should’ve known how things were going to play out Sunday after Curry’s first three shots of the game. Curry, a 40.7% shooter from long distance this year and 42.6% for his career, was short on his first attempt of the afternoon and then chucked up two straight airballs.
Curry attempted nine 3-pointers in the first half and missed them all. He finished the game 2-for-13 in what could be the worst game of his NBA career. The Celtics went on a 58-13 run in the first half and raced out to an 82-38 lead at halftime. The 52-point win was the third time the Celtics have beaten an opponent by 50 or more points this season.
Meanwhile, the Celtics remained sizzling hot. Jaylen Brown scored 19 of his 29 points in the first quarter while playing lockdown defense against Curry.
Curry said it was just one of those games where nothing went right for his team and everything seemed to click for the opponent.
“They came out and whooped us tonight from the jump,” Curry said postgame. “It was one of those perfect storms of just a rough night on our end and them taking it to us.
“They’ve elevated their game, and you have to give them credit.”
Curry Says the Warriors Need To Get Where the Celtics Are
Just two seasons ago, the Warriors won three straight games against the Celtics to clinch the 2022 NBA Finals in six games. Now, Curry says, the Warriors are looking to get to where Boston is this year.
The Celtics own the best record in the NBA at 48-12. Their closest competitor in the Eastern Conference is the Milwaukee Bucks, who sit 8.5 games behind them.
“Boston’s been showing who they are through this winning streak that they’re on, pretty much all year,” Curry said. “They’ve played at a consistently high level. We’ve got to get there.
“They’re the best team in the league right now, and they play like it. They played their ass off, and it was tough to watch from the other side.”
Curry said the Celtics are playing like a team with a whole lot of purpose and a whole lot of confidence.
“It seems like they have confidence no matter who has the ball in their hands,” he said. “It’s an identity and a confidence in how you play every night. You can feel it with certain teams. Certain teams don’t have it. You don’t win 11 in a row on accident. They’re tough.”