The unsuitable Warriors spun with the Grizzlies without Ja Morant, taking their first lead of the evening with 45.7 seconds left to close the win and lead 3-1 in the best of seven.
Curry scored 18 points in the last quarter, tying the game at 90 with 3:25 to the end, then scoring eight consecutive free throws with a clutch in the last minute, leading his team forward.
“Nothing we found out, just don’t let the first three quarters affect the fact that we still had a chance to win the game,” Curry told reporters after the game. “Kill the shots you think you can do, play aggressively, take care of the ball. We did all these things.”
Golden State’s task was more difficult than the absence of coach Steve Kerr, who tested positive for Covid-19 two hours before the signal and failed to take his place on the bench.
He was replaced by assistant coach Mike Brown, who will take over as Sacramento Kings head coach next season and previously led the Warriors to a 11-0 record during the 2017 title when Kerr was absent.
“I think his top coaching record for the Warrior playoffs is unbeaten,” said Warriors guard Clay Thompson. “We missed Steve a lot, just his voice, his presence, but we’ve been here before, in 2017, when Mike took over and we had a lot of victories, so I thought about it a lot.”
Both teams missed chances to back away due to poor shooting, with neither team hitting 42% off the floor or 26% beyond the arc.
The Warriors were 0-15 from deep, while Otto Porter Jr. drew a three-pointer with 3:24 left in the second quarter. Thompson missed all seven of his three-point attempts, but still contributed 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Grizzlies ‘defense – led by Jaren Jackson Jr., who blocked five shots and allowed two stolen thefts – interrupted the Warriors’ attack, retaining just 38 points in the first half.
Jackson Jr. also led Memphis by 21 points in the absence of star point Guard Morant, who injured his right knee during Saturday’s loss in Game 3. Thais Jones added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists.
“It’s hard. It’s a hard pill to swallow. It felt like we were leading the whole game,” Jones told the media after the game. “I felt we were in a good position. It felt like we were in a good position to win a ball game and things weren’t going our way.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in Memphis.
Celtics vs. Bucks 2-2
In the Eastern Conference, Al Horford scored the best 30 points of his career since the season, while the Boston Celtics created a devastating late-bust to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-108 and tied their best seven-game streak in two games.
“Usually I only do my job,” Horford told the media after the game. “I’m excited, but I guess you’re choosing your places, your moments. It was an emotional game.”
Despite falling behind by 11 points in the middle of the third quarter, the Celtics teamed up 10-0 to return to the dispute before beating the Bucks 43-28 in the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee regained the lead with 94-92 with the remaining 6:02, but the Celtics responded with 14-2, which put the game out of Bucks’ reach.
Janice Adetokunmpo is the leader in the result for Milwaukee with 34 points in loss, along with 18 rebounds and 5 assists, while Brooke Lopez finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
“Al [Horford] “We had a hell of a game,” said Milwaukee’s Jrou Holliday, who scored 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. But give them credit. They did more plays. “
The Celtics have a home advantage in two of the next three games in their series. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston.
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