SAN FRANCISCO — Highlights of the Stephen Curry 3-pointers, Robert Williams’ blocked shot and, now, Andrew WigginsThe ‘dunks continue to be the most memorable moments in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Ime Udoka is the Celtics coach and keeps trying to tell everyone that they’re not getting it.
The Golden State Warriors You are just one win away from winning another title. 104-94 Game 5 Victory over the Boston Celtics Monday night. The Warriors aren’t ahead 3-2 because Boston’s expertly constructed No. 1 defense is winning the anticipated battle. The 1 defense against the historical shooting wizard and his brothers-in-arms is not the right one, but the exact opposite.
These Finals are being won on the other side of the court with the Warriors’ defense suffocating Boston and negating Boston’s game plan.
Fans who poured out of Chase Center Monday night to see Curry shoot 0-for-9 with 3-pointers explained it too. first time in four years He played 233 games, but he did not make a triple.
Curry said, “It’s the first thing people notice about me, consistent, how well my ball shoots, how my shots look, that flair.” “I cannot control the narratives, however people talk about it. You can’t control the narratives, but it’s all about the game. … I think so. [the] No. No.
Udoka, the Celtics first-year coach made some adjustments to his defensive strategy against Curry. He had his big men crowd Curry more behind screens and used more switches to discourage Curry from doing the type of shooting he was doing in the series.
He spent more time worrying about Boston’s offense before Game 5. He’ll be more focused on these issues on Tuesday as he prepares for Game 6.
Udoka repeated the same words as last week, when he was asked questions about Curry. “I don’t know whether it was our defense as well as offensive struggles that hurt tonight.
Curry scored 43 points during Game 4; the Warriors had 107. Wiggins’ 26-point performance Monday was a magnificent effort, and could probably be considered the best of his pro career given the stakes. Meanwhile, the Warriors scored…104.
They scored 107 points in Game 2. They average 105 point per game in this series. This is 10 more than what they scored against the West Conference finalist. Dallas Mavericks. Golden State is currently shooting at 45%. This is a good score, but 7% lower than last round.
Although the Warriors are not being shut down by the Celtics, they are managing to keep them in check.
They scored… 88 points when the Celtics lost Game 2. They didn’t even crack 100 in Games 4 and 5.
The Celtics, who are incredibly defensive, could be on the brink of losing a title…on offense.
The Warriors are dedicated to playing rough, and not because they want to. Draymond Green In the first few games, they did some minor pushing while playing with dead balls. They refuse to give Jayson Tatum Jaylen BrownThe Celtics’ primary handlers of the ball, Alicia, has a lot to do.
Boston is frustrated by the crowding. The turnovers keep coming in large numbers.
In Game 5, Boston had 18. The Celtics are now 1-7 when the ball is turned over 16 or more times in the postseason. They are 13-2 with fewer.
Boston players know this. Udoka clearly displayed it on the Scouting Reports. They cannot help but keep going.
Tatum added that “we’re hard to beat if we don’t turnover the ball over”, and Tatum, who has now added four to his total Monday to reach 95 in 23 playoff games, is getting close to the playoff turnover record. “Clearly, when we do that, it’s easy to beat us.”
The officials are often the first to respond when the Celtics become sloppy in offense. They don’t usually benefit from the trend, regardless of the accuracy of their calls. On Monday, they were both ejected by Udoka. He usually tries to get his players off their whining and back to defense when they don’t receive a preferred whistle.
Udoka almost got kicked out of the game in the fourth period when he pointed his anger at Tony Brothers, the referee. Brothers confronted him rather than tossing him.
Udoka stated that complaining was probably something we shouldn’t do as often. “And we did too much.”
When they won their two first titles with this core, in 2015 and 2017, the Warriors were regularly in the top five in defensive effectiveness. They finished outside the top 10 in only three of their previous four seasons, even though they made it to the Finals in 2018-2019. They have recommitted themselves to it in the last year with their current defensive coordinator and newest Sacramento Kings Mike Brown, the head coach, leads the effort.
This defensive push also includes improvements from Wiggins who has been a powerful stopper since being traded to Golden State and Curry who has transformed from a defensive weakness to one who can hold his own. This topic has been a constant discussion point throughout the season, but it has never been more important than the past two weeks.
The Curry matchup that the Celtics have more trouble with than the Warriors is when Curry has the ball is when the Warriors are on defense.
“They tried to attack.” [Curry] He played well.” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated. “Defense is the key to our game.”
Fatigue could also be a factor. The Celtics must win the title again after winning seven of the last two rounds. Tatum is shooting 56% for the Finals’ first quarters and 24% for the fourth. That includes 2-of-10 losses over the past two rounds.
Boston’s problems are deeper than this. The Celtics have often struggled to perform offensively under pressure throughout the season. This is a problem that frustrates a team so close to its ultimate goal. It is dangerously close to becoming a fatal flaw.
Tatum stated, “We’ll rebound and bounce back,” referring to the tone he used as the Celtics faced elimination games throughout their run. “I am certain of it.”