Marcus Smart is doing his best to guard Stephen Curry, but the superstar guard has been unstoppable in the NBA Finals.
Curry went for 43 points (14/26 shooting, 7/14 from beyond the arc) in Game 4 (107-97) and helped the Golden State Warriors even the series (2-2).
Speaking with reporters ahead of Monday’s Game 5, Marcus Smart explained why it is so ‘tough’ to contain the three-time NBA champion.
“Definitely. We all know what he can do outside of 20 feet, 30 to 35, 40 feet. The dude is special in that regard.
The way that he’s able to affect the game by being able to run around and play off the ball and get himself open, it’s just tough on a defender because you can’t take a break.
The instant you think that he’s not doing anything, the play is over for him, and that’s when you get beaten. That’s when you get burnt. That’s when this mentality comes in and you’ve got to stay ready, you can’t give up, you’ve got to keep going.
For him, he can affect the game at all levels, passing, play-making, shooting the ball, scoring the ball. He’s got the whole package, and you have to be able to guard every last thing he has, and not many players can do that.
Not a lot of people, especially on that defensive end, likes to sit down and play defense. It’s not fun. It’s not glamorous at all. You’re not going to get any or much of the credit,” Marcus Smart told media, including Hedgeout.net, on Sunday.
Stephen Curry has been averaging 34,3 points in the NBA Finals and is the main reason the Warriors are still alive in the series. After Monday’s game, the series will return to TD Garden for Game 6 on Thursday.
