Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors have struggled in the last two games against the Rockets.
So much has changed since they last blew a 3-1 series lead. Stephen Curry had two children then; he now has four. Draymond Green had a clean-shaven face then; his beard is now flecked with gray.
The signs of maturity and aging are so apparent with these two Golden State legends, the last remaining symbols of a bygone championship dynasty. Speaking of growing old, how much will they age if they come up on the wrong end of a rally again?
In 2016, it was the Cavaliers who stunned the Warriors and the basketball world, winning a championship for Cleveland with a fierce comeback fueled by LeBron James and sealed by Kyrie Irving.
On Sunday, it could be the frisky Rockets who claim a first-round playoff series and do it at the expense of a pair of proud, but right now vulnerable, Warriors mainstays.
This time, much like last time, Curry, at age 37, and Green, at 35, are playing a crucial role in the reverse rally. They haven’t been at their best throughout the first six games, and they each share a measure of blame for this series being tied at 3-all.
They can also deliver a bit of redemption in Game 7 and avoid a dreaded repeat of history. That’s because, even here on the back-nine of their careers, they’re also known to deliver when it matters most.
Draymond: “A Game 7 is a Game 7. Anytime you have the opportunity, it’s fun. It’s exciting.”
Curry: “If you don’t show up with that appropriate mentality, then you got a long summer vacation ahead of you.”
That NBA Finals against the Cavs was historic, nerve-rattling, dramatic and heavily watched. It became a flash point and a turning point for this generation of hoops. The Warriors were attempting to wrap a bow on a season that saw them win a record 73 games and then claim the first two games of the Finals by a combined 48 points. The Cavs were trying to do it for Cleveland, which had never won an NBA title.
And the series and script flipped in Game 4 once Draymond, who can be a bit emotional, took a swipe at a sensitive spot on LeBron’s body.
He received a technical foul, which meant a one-game suspension for a player who tabulated too many techs that postseason. Draymond had kicked Steven Adams in the groin — coincidentally, Adams now plays for the Rockets — and previously threw Michael Beasley to the floor. The Warriors, up 3-1, lost that game and the next while Draymond watched on TV inside a luxury suite at the Oakland Coliseum, home of the A’s.
One of history’s most forgotten performances was the one Draymond delivered in Game 7 following the suspension. Given the circumstances, it was the most impressive of his career: 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and several muscle-flexes. But it was buried beneath LeBron’s chase-down block and Kyrie’s game-winning jumper.
As for Curry, he cooked initially in that series. Then it went downhill, much like this series with the Rockets.
He scored 38 points against the Cavs in Game 4 to give the Warriors their commanding lead. He scored 30 points only once more in that series. Not only did his efficiency gradually take a dive, but his meek Game 7 invited criticism for a player who, until that point, was teflon.
In that game, Steph made six buckets (out of 19 attempts). He had six turnovers. He made one basket in the fourth quarter. He went scoreless in the last six minutes. He was late getting to Kyrie on the Cavs guard’s game-winner. It was a humbling experience for a player who won his second straight MVP during the season.
“I didn’t do enough to help my team win,” he said then. “It will haunt me for a while.”
And what has transpired for Steph and Draymond in this series with the Rockets? Some ups, some downs.
Draymond had a triumphant mano-a-mano against Alperen Sengun in the final seconds of Game 4, when the Rockets went to their big man and Draymond accepted the defensive challenge. Sengun’s shot fell short and Draymond howled.
Over the next two games, though, Sengun shot 14-for-29 and averaged 18 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists. His confidence or soul wasn’t stolen that night, in hindsight.
Making matters worse for Draymond — his old friend Adams has come off the bench to spell Sengun and played splendidly.
Meanwhile, Draymond has just as many turnovers as rebounds and baskets (six each) in the last two games. He’s passing up shots even when the Rockets give him plenty of space.
Fred VanVleet scores 29 and Houston shuts down Golden State in the 4th to force Game 7.
Steph was sublime in Games 1 and 3 but ordinary in the rest. He’s dealing with a sore thumb and shot sub-40% over the last two losses, blowing a chance to eliminate the Rockets each time, and was vapor in the fourth quarter Friday.
Also: He’s getting outplayed by Fred VanVleet. The Rockets guard, who beat Curry for the 2019 championship when he was a member of the Raptors, shot 18-for-27 from deep over the last three games and showed a greater sense of urgency, mainly because he had no choice.
So this is where Steph and Draymond are right now, caught between a chance to atone for history or repeat it. At least for Curry, his last taste of a Game 7 was succulent — a 50-piece against the Kings in what was yet another legacy game for him.
This duo at least has Jimmy Butler, who usually brings his A-game in the postseason and has proven to be an ideal teammate since arriving in a midseason trade.
“We’re going to win together, we’re going to lose together,” Butler said. “And I know we’re definitely going to win together come Sunday.”
Still, this is on Draymond Green, this is on Stephen Curry. This is another 3-1 lead that’s now 3-all, and there’s no wiggle room for error. History may not be kind if there’s a relapse for them.
“I know we’re all excited about the fact that we still have life even though these last two games haven’t gone our way,” Curry said.
Life? Yes. But for how much longer? When it’s all said and done Sunday, it’s either grin … or go home.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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