AD took it ‘personal' when Warriors ran Steph late originally appeared nbc sports birea
After this the Warriors are on the verge of being eliminated from the NBA playoffs their 104–101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday.
And while there were several key plays that determined the outcome of the game, Lakers' big man Anthony Davis made all the difference with his late-game save on Steph Curry.
Davis told Mike Trudell of Spectrum sportsnet after the game, “Man, I'm proud of my defense.” ,[The Warriors] apparently wanted to switch with me, and I took that personal… I know when [Curry] reaches his step-back 3 — I just wanted to move his pups … I just wanted to move his pups and put him in front and give him a hard shot, and that's what I did “
Davis played lockdown defense against Curry in the final 38 seconds of the game, allowing the Warriors star to miss two straight attempts as the Lakers led 102–101. The first shot was a fadeaway jumper inside the arc, and the second was a 3-point attempt from behind the line that hit the rim.
Curry's usual heroics were suppressed, and the Lakers took a commanding lead in the three-games-to-one series.
“He's a hell of a player,” Davis said of Curry. “There's no shot he can't make. He takes all the tough shots, and he makes them. I just wanted to tough him out and shoot him on an outstretched arm and pray he misses , because he make them. And he missed, he got it back, and I just wanted to defend him again, miss him again.
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Curry finished the game with his third career playoff triple-double, although it Warriors lose for the first time post-season game where their point guard records such numbers. He finished with 31 points on 12-of-30 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and 14 assists.
And, two shots he and Davis must have been thinking about for a long time.