The Boston Celtics seemed to be a better team than the Warriors through three games of last year's Finals. They lead the series 2-1 following a kind of "feel out" triumph in Game 1 and a strong performance in Game 3, with Golden State's pivotal Game 2 victory wedged between.
This Lakers series has gone pretty nearly similarly. Game 1, which the Warriors seemed in control of for a considerable chunk, similar as Game 1 in last year's Finals, falls to the Lakers. The Warriors win Game 2 convincingly, but the Lakers fight back and dominate Game 3.
So here we are, once again, in what is virtually a must-win Game 4 for the Warriors. We all know what Steph Curry accomplished in Game 4 against Boston, scoring 43 points to take the soul of a Celtics team that had, to that stolen home-court advantage. Boston never won again.
Can Curry and the Warriors replicate this feat against the Lakers on Monday night? They had better. They're not going to come back from a 3-1 disadvantage. Anthony Davis offers just too many matchup concerns to predict three consecutive victories with their back against the wall, even if two of them would be at home.
This isn't uncharted ground for the Warriors even in this playoffs. They were down 2-0 to the Kings in the first round and facing what was virtually a must-win Game 3 without Draymond Green. They rolled. I'm here to tell you that although the Kings seemed to be the better team for most of the series, the Warriors pedigreed their way to a Game 7 when Steve Kerr played the Curry card.
Kerr had to pull the same Curry card previously against the Lakers, resorting to an almost pure pick-and-roll assault in Game 2. It works. But the Lakers reacted in Game 3, and now Kerr must respond in Game 4 to provide Curry the space and matchups he needs to deliver the game-changing performance the Warriors require.
I have advised starting Jordan Poole. I cringe when I say it. But I believe it's vital to drive Davis back into Draymond and into the Curry actions. Whatever move Kerr takes, it has to be the correct one. This is familiar ground, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying against a larger, more muscular Lakers club that possesses possibly the greatest matchup concern the Warriors figure to face in these whole playoffs in Davis. On one end, he keeps the Warriors out of the paint, while on the other, he is too big for Green and too quick for Kevon Looney.
That said, the Lakers don't have anybody who can legitimately defend Curry, either. It's all about placing him in position to leverage his advantages. If Kerr is unable to figure it out, Curry will be forced to figure it out on the fly. He did it in the Finals last year. He did it against Sacramento. He's done it multiple times over his playoff career. He'll need to do it again on Monday, not necessarily as a scorer, but as the dominating force on the floor if the Warriors hope to tie this series up and flip the momentum back in their favor.