CLEVELAND - Muling nagsalpak si Stephen Curry ng kanyang mga pamatay na long-range shots, inilabas-masok ang kanyang mouthpiece at sinigawan pa si LeBron James.
Hindi naging epektibo sa unang tatlong laro sa NBA Finals, pinatahimik ni Curry ang kanyang mga kritiko nang ilapit ang Golden State Warriors sa back-to-back championship.
Umiskor ang two-time MVP ng 38 points, habang nagdagdag si Klay Thompson ng 25 markers para pangunahan ang Warriors sa 108-97 panalo laban sa Cleveland Cavaliers sa Game 4.
Sa apat na laro sa serye ay umiskor lamang si Curry ng 48 total points.
Ngunit sa Game 4 ay naghulog siya ng pitong three-pointers at may apat naman si Thompson, ang kanyang ‘Splash Brother,’ para ibigay sa Warriors ang malaking 3-1 bentahe sa kanilang best-of-seven championship series.
Hindi na nagulat ang Golden State sa pagbabalik ni Curry.
“All the slander,” sabi ni forward Draymond Green sa kanyang teammate. “He’s a competitor. He’s been under a heavy microscope, and rightfully so. Two-time MVP, you’re expected to have a great game in the finals. He struggled the first three, tonight he was our guy.”
Ang Warriors, gumawa ng NBA history sa kanilang 73-win regular season, ay maaaring maging ika-pitong prangkisa ng dalawang sunod na NBA titles kung muling mananaig sa Game 5 sa Lunes sa Oracle Arena.
Sa nasabing venue ay nagtala ang koponan ng 50-3 record ngayong season.
“Business as usual,” wika ni Curry. “We answered the bell. We got back to who we are as a team.”
Nagposte ang Warriors ng isang NBA Finals record sa kanilang 17 three-pointers.
“He’s Stephen Curry,” sabi naman ni coach Steve Kerr. “He’s the MVP for a reason. He doesn’t have the size and strength to dominate a game physically, so he has to dominate with his skill and that’s not an easy thing to do because your shot sometimes isn’t going to go in.”
“Tonight they went in,” dagdag pa nito.