I love Chris Paul’s interviews because he often defaults to the “it’s just basketball”response, where it’s like he’s giving you an internal-eye roll. I mean, remember the “You coaching?” snap-back at Summer League? It was at Summer League! Lol.
Ask him about defending taller players, let alone superstars like Jayson Tatum? “I done did ABC for XYZ years, man” — see actual answer to that in the transcript below. I get it, it’s quite inconsiderate of him to do that given all the trouble that beatwriters take to do their job (have I mentioned how tough road trips are?). And I’ll certainly take Paul’s dogma over Jordan Poole’s “it’s huge” and shifty-eyes-can’t-wait-to-leave-the-room vanilla answers any day.
CP3 puts up a wall but it’s really a challenge to the reporter to peel the onion in a way that respects him as a Hall-of-Famer and, perhaps more importantly, the game of basketball. Don’t just knee-jerk a casual observation. Use your standing as a reporter with a credential to take it to the next level, to prove you did your homework — oh, and to show you have some passion for basketball by climbing over that wall.
And so credit Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, not that it was a surprise, but he got CP to expound on the pick-and-roll with Trayce Jackson-Davis in the context of the flow state with Stephen Curry. And we all got a rare inside look at that, and more. That’s why I’ve put Chris’s transcript below first and foremost. The video, which includes TJD and Klay Thompson, is followed by Steph, Steve Kerr, postgame notes, and a pregame behind-the-scenes video. The full in-game video will be worked on the rest of the day (those take a lot of time and energy). There might also be a bonus interview with someone from Boston. Of course, Brandin Podziemski article for paid subs STILL on deck! 🤷🏻♂️
TJD/CP3/KLAY POSTGAME BOS-GSW
Trayce, have you officially shed your ‘Baby T’ nickname now that you’ve got your first double-double?
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS POSTGAME BOSTON: “I have indeed. Klay announced it right when we got in the locker room, so I think I’m Trayce Jr. now.”
I mean, it’s always ‘be ready,’ but do you have an inkling that this might be a night for you? Or how did you approach it?
“I mean, the coaches told me before the game just to be ready. You’re probably going to play tonight and then, just getting in and providing energy for my teammates trying to make the right place. And I’m just doing everything I can to help them, so.”
What’s going on in your head sort of before and after that block on on Jaylen?
“I’ve blocked a lot of shots. It felt good, especially he had it in his left hand. So, I thought I had a chance. I thought I timed it right… just instinct, go get the ball.”
That’s a lot of velocity coming to the rim. What does it feel like? Do you feel your hand bend back? What’s the sensation like?
“I did feel it. Actually, it did bend back a little bit, but I’m just glad I got a piece because that would have been on SportsCenter.”
So Trayce, what was your angle on that shot by Curry? And can you try to come up with some words to describe it?
“Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I was sitting right under the rim and I’m looking. I’m like, that’s good. That’s good. And then I said some words that I’m not going to repeat as it went in.”
So obviously there’s been a lot of discussion about what your role could be. Should you be playing more? Can you be playing more? Obviously put two pretty good games back to back here. Has anyone said, ‘Hey, you are earning a role.’ Has there been discussion about what the next few games in the next few weeks might look like for you?
“For me, honestly, I’m just blessed to be here. Coaches always say whenever you’re ready or whenever you get an opportunity, make the most of it. So I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity and whenever is the next time they call my name, I’m going to try to make the most of it.”
Trayce, for the past, I’ll say, like, decade or so, this team has been rooted in and led by seasoned Hall of Fame veterans, and this season, so far, like, you, yourself, Brandin, Jonathan, a lot of young guys have really stepped up. Is that fun, just to see a group of younger players be able to be a part of it? Is there a way to keep this team afloat, like lead them in some way, while other guys kind of navigate their early parts of the season?
“Absolutely. I think that the best way to explain it is our young guys. I think we play with a lot of confidence and then having the vets and Hall of Fame guys come up to you and give you confidence and then we play with that energy, I think the vets feed off of that. And so I think it’s a win-win on both sides, but it’s playing with JK, Moses and BP, it’s great and they provide a lot…”
How much I guess pride do you take in the impact on defense and when you see the stat sheet and you’re plus 25 in 28 minutes. What does that mean to you? What’s the significance of that to you?
“Just trying my best when I’m out there just to try to give my team a lift. I know when I got in the game, we were down and just doing things like blocking shots and doing stuff of that nature so we can get out and run on providing energy plays is the biggest thing for me. Just trying to get a spark for our team.”
I’m not sure how much time was left on a shot clock when you got that offensive rebound. But did you actually check the shot clock and kind of what was your thought process from there, like four seconds, I think?
CHRIS PAUL: “I don’t know. I was about to shoot it and I seen Steph open.”
Pretty long pass.
“Yeah, but, he practices that, getting shots off quick. I don’t know. I don’t know. I figured give him a crack at it. I like his chances.”
Chris, we know you’ve been feeling under the weather today. Exactly what are you dealing with? And when did you know that you could go tonight?
“Life, just same thing. Everybody else sort of be dealing with a little fever or whatnot. When did I know? Probably when I woke up.”
Did it bother you at all during the game?
“A little bit, but it’s always fine. I missed the game, I think, in OKC. First time in my whole career. I missed the game because of the sickness and I was pissed. You know all these years you sick at times or whatnot, but you find a way to get through.”
You guys played Trayce like 29 minutes tonight. What dimension does he give you personally with the kind of a pick and roll center, but just the team also?
“Not just me. Trayce is such a good, I want to say, kid, but I mean, but he’s such a good player, right? And he’s a rookie, and I’ve been pretty easy on him all season long, and I finally sort of went nuts on him a little bit. I think in Portland, and he just started killing. He’s been hooping, and I’m not saying that’s why, but I think he has the capability to do what you guys are seeing, and he just gives us a different dimension because he plays above the rim, his shot blocking ability, and I think what he’s seeing now is that he does a lot of things that don’t show up on the box scores. He changes shots, and his athleticism is something that we need. It just gives us a different dimension.”
Steve talked a little bit about what this win could mean, I mean, against a team of that quality to come back the way you did that, I think the way you put it was this could sort of get the ship back on course. How significant is this in your mind?
“I mean, it’s a really big win for our team. it’s no secret. We’ve been through a lot in this, what, 20-something games into the season. It’s been a lot going on, but I think the guys in our locker room still believe and know that we’re capable of a lot this season. And so it’s a really good win. This is like we said, a really good team and hopefully this can get us going.”
When you say you got on Trayce that just you could be better, or do you know it’s possible? What kind of generally what kind of things are you telling him at that point?
“It’s teammates stuff.”
How good can he be then?
“Really good. I mean, when you’re playing in the system that we’re playing with guards like me, Steph, all of us, but you also got to understand that me and Steph play totally different, so you gotta understand that when he’s coming off a ball screen, you may hold it so he can get a three. With me, you may hold it so I can snake and now you get a lob, so the game is constantly changing. And so for somebody like him, it’s a lot. It’s a lot being thrown at you, but we’re pros and he’s watching film and I mean, he went up and got a couple rebounds in Portland that we was all in the locker room talking about after the game. He’s so athletic and when he does that, like we said, we have a little bit of everything. We got Loon who’s out there. He’s in the right place at the right time. We got Dario who’s picking and popping. In this league, in order to be successful, you gotta be able to play different ways and he gives us a different dimension.”
You had Tatum defensively for a stretch there. What kind of pride do you take that he did not score very much when you’re the primary guy defending him?
“I done played defense a long time. Long time. Yeah, I mean, I played defense. I’ve been All-Defense a few times.”
He’s taller than you.
“Just about every night the guy’s taller than me. You ain’t noticed – my son laughing because he also is the other short guy. Yeah, it’s a lot of people taller than me.”
Chris, in Phoenix I talked with Trayce a lot after practice one of those days and I talked to him in Phoenix and he was saying how much he’s been learning from you and how much have you sort of made a conscious effort to work with him and I mean, you’ve run that pick and roll so well for so many years with different people. How much of a personal sort of connection is there?
“Yeah. No, I just told Trayce, I done got a lot of big guys, paid a lot of money in my career. You know what I mean? So, I don’t know everything, but I know a few things and to see him and how he’s been open to it and, it’s just been great because with the way that Trayce plays, if you saw a game in Portland, we got some wide open threes just because of his ability to put pressure on the rim, and anybody who’s watching the game, like I said, there’s a lot of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. And so, it’s good to see him coming into his own.”
Steve said that Klay Thompson’s shot selection recently has changed this team. What do you think he meant by that?
“What he said.”
In what sense do you think it’s changed this team?
“I said it before: Klay is one of the best shooters that has played this game, every time he shoot it, I think it’s going in. I mean, I dribble-handoff to him. He hit the big three to tie the game up tonight. And I think, when you can shoot it as well as Klay, you’re just thinking, I mean, let me get my shots up. But we didn’t talk about it as a team. We want him to shoot the ball, whenever he can, but we just want to try to make sure that’s quality shots. And so that’s not something new. That’s what every team is saying, around the league.”
You hit Trayce on a couple like pick and roll dives today, and obviously, I think he played like 29 minutes. What does he bring to you guys?
KLAY THOMPSON: “A vertical spacer, a shot blocking presence, and a big, strong, physical big man who is, incredibly athletic. Trayce Jr., very athletic.”
You declared in the locker room that is now his nickname, as his new nickname?
“Correct. It’s only one Trayce in my life. That’s Trayce Thompson, MLB player, father to Roman.”
What do you think about a win like this? We know this season has been a little bumpy to start. What do you think this could do for the rest of the season?
“We knew this already, but we have the ability to beat anybody, I just want to say, And, just give everybody confidence that we can continue a great win streak here and right the ship. And, most importantly, that we have the ability to beat anybody from the best teams in the league to the bottom teams. Nice. I’m out of here. Oh.”
Hey, Klay. you’ve seen Steph make all sorts of shots from all different angles. What’s your reaction? What are you thinking when you see that high arcing three go in tonight?
“Very grateful it went in. It was an incredible shot. Moon ball. And, I mean, he never ceases to amaze us. I thought that step-back going right was even more impressive, though. For anyone who shoots a basketball out there, they know how hard of a shot that really is. It was very impressive from Steph.”
Talk about CP3’s ability to find people. He had that little drop back to you for the big three to tie the game, I believe, late and you kind of pointed to him afterwards. What’s that kind of chemistry like? Do you feel like you and CP have kind of established what you need to establish with that chemistry?
“I think so. And Chris, what a great game he played tonight, floor game. I mean, just filled up the stat sheet, and it’s just a joy to play with him. He makes my job so easy, and he’s one of the greatest, obviously, to ever play, so he makes everyone around us better, and I’m just lucky to be his teammate.”
KLAY RADIO, STEPH POSTGAME
Klay Thompson’s nice enough to come over and chat with us after, I’m sure, was an exhausting win tonight. Klay, first of all, congratulations. What a game. Great win for you guys tonight. Great win against one of the best teams in the league. Steph Curry, wow, what a shot there to go night night. And then how about Baby T?
KLAY THOMPSON POSTGAME RADIO (with Tim Roye and Tom Tolbert): “Finally got that double double. Now he goes by Trayce Jr. I mentioned that on the air. I said, okay, we have a name change now. It was fun while it lasted. One day. Yeah.”
I gotta ask you a little bit about it, but we know you’re a great shooter, one of the best that’s ever played in this game. But I gotta ask you about your playmaker guy. You had a beautiful assist to Jackson-Davis. You’ve had some really remarkable plays this year. You gotta be really happy about that. Very happy trying to be a playmaker.
“I’m not happy with those two good looks I have in the wing, but that’s life. You respond by playing hard, defense and trusting your teammates. And what a win for the squad. Keep a win streak going and hopefully do the same thing this weekend. Yeah.”
What does it say about the team, Klay? Down 17 and you guys just put your heads down. Keep fighting, Steph’s on the bench, five fouls. Just keep fighting, keep playing. Let’s see what happens. Keep fighting, man.
“Says a lot, Tom. I mean, you guys have been around for decades now, there’s ebbs and flows every season and although we’ve had a rough stretch here to start the year, we had a great start, but now we’re looking to right the ship and we got two great opportunities this weekend to get back to back wins on our home court and it’s just about building great habits toward playoff time when that time comes and these young bucks are going to carry us throughout this regular season.”
How about guys like Cory Joseph, Trayce Jackson?
“I mean, guys who rarely get their number call come in and make a huge impact allow us to win this game.”
Yeah, what about the impact of Trayce Jackson or as you call him, sorry, Junior? …incredible this game, flying over. He kind of changes the dynamic of the game a little bit, doesn’t he?
“He does and I can’t believe we got him in the 50th pick, whatever it was. His ability to elevate above the rim, I mean, he’s NBA ready with his ability to read the game. You saw him make a dump off pass to Cory. He’s great out of the pick and roll. He’s great on the backside help. Like you said Tom, his ability to block shots and dunk over people is something that changes our vertical spacing and changes our team dynamic.”
Have you ever seen somebody run so straight up, though? Ha! Oh! It’s like Eric Dickerson out there.
“I gotta think about it. Oh! Here’s a name for you: Nick Fazekas used to run like that. That was a bucket, though… Real hoop fans know Nick Fazekas.”
How, how difficult is that Chris Paul pass that he made to you for that kind of game ceiling three?
STEPHEN CURRY POSTGAME: “It was tough because it was a split second decision. Once he got the ball to one dribble, I had to figure out an angle, knowing the shot clock was running down. I saw him before, right away as he got the ball, kind of locked eyes, I had my hands up. And when he took the extra dribble, I lost sight of him and the ball was coming. On time, on target, I was able to get my feet underneath me. And then it was just a rhythm shot at that point. So it was a hell of a play just knowing that we needed to get a shot up. And he made the right decision. 12 assists, zero turnovers. He’s a master at that.”
Steph, how gratifying is it to get a win like this? You guys have routinely had games where you’ve had the big leads and have to kind of fight back to win this case. You guys came back down 17 in the third quarter to win in overtime.
“Big deal because of how we got it done. The guys that were on the floor that contributed, Trayce’s coming out party and the way he impacted the game, JK offensively and defensively. It’s putting pressure on them. Klay had big shots. Everybody, stepped up. Even Cory, when I got in foul trouble, he came in and played solid for those six minutes and kept us kind of afloat. So everybody stayed ready. And the way that our season’s going, you never really know how it’s going to look. And every night’s a little different, and we’ve lost leads, but the way we dug deep tonight was a big morale booster, and now you gotta capitalize off of it.”
Hey, Steph, you had five fouls for about an hour and a half. With so much that you already have to focus on during the game, what extra level of concentration does it take? Clutch game like this where you need to carry so much on both ends to also not try to pick up your sixth foul.
“I think there’s only one play down the stretch where I kind of had to give up two points. But my teammates man, like when somebody’s in foul trouble, it puts pressure on everybody else. Like obviously I can’t do anything stupid and reach or give up a dumb foul. But everybody else has to be aware as well because they’re gonna have to help. I gotta either put extra pressure on the ball so that they don’t try to put me in tough situations. Then we kind of rotate around. Everybody has to fly around so I had to play smart, but credit everybody else for stepping up and having my back. It’s the only way it can work for 17 minutes, the fourth and overtime for me to stay available and stay on the floor.”
Steph two questions for you. Your teammates were saying that they got the sense that you were in that ‘I’m not gonna let us lose tonight.’ What was it about this night? Was there that coming into the game? You had that mindset or just something happened in the game where you decided to kind of take on that switch?
“I didn’t have much going through the third because obviously foul trouble. They only had 13 through three. It was more understanding how we needed to create shots down the stretch in the fourth quarter. They’re a switching team. They obviously know us from past history and it became kind of slow it down, pick and roll game, just trying to create. I got Klay open twice on some off action from pick and roll. I got off, taking advantage of mismatches. So I think it was just seeing the game the right way, and you gotta make shots. So thankfully they went in. But more is when I got that fifth foul in the third quarter, just trying to stay mentally locked in, not let yourself kind of float away in frustration because you’re not out there. And just wait patiently until I got back, have my moment, the fourth.”
Obviously, it’s like, it looks difficult, putting a team on your back like that. But how much energy do you get from those young athletic guys who are bouncing around and making plays? Like, what does that do for you as you summon energy?
“Like Trayce’s two blocks he had, especially the one in the fourth, I think it was or maybe overtime. I can remember one on Jaylen. You feel the crowd get into it and that just gets everybody hyped up. And then JK’s steal the first minute of the overtime. I’m feeding off of the crowd’s energy, and those two guys created that, with some spectacular individual plays. So, like I said, everybody who was out there for significant minutes contributed in some way, shape, or form. And it was a gutsy win, to say the least, just because it looked a little different with Trayce and JK impacting the game the way they did, me, CP, Klay and that final group, it was fun.”
Marcus kind of took my question, but before the season, I mean, you could picture what the young guys might contribute. But to see it, I think we’re a third of the way through now, 27 games in, and to see what Kuminga, the impact he’s made the last few games, Trayce tonight, last two games, obviously, what does that mean for the team in the bigger picture to have those guys (and) Podziemski, obviously? Moses has taken a step forward to see that young brigade sort of making a real impact now, … actually on the court.
“I mean, it’s necessary for us to be competitive and win games. Yeah, obviously Draymond’s out, GP has been out. We shook up the start line up a little bit. So there’s opportunity there for everybody and just credit those guys for staying ready, staying confident, playing fearless, not being afraid to make mistakes. Like, it’s hard to do, but they’ve accomplished it and are contributing at a high level. So we wanted to continue that trajectory and keep getting better as a team, and understand how we’re supposed to win games with the guys that are out there, and that’s the challenge for this specific group, and three games in a row we’ve put it together. One game at a time.”
How aware are you of the general discourse around this team? I’m sure you’ve heard some of it, ‘It’s over, give it up, break them up,’ whatever the discussion is. And how much do you get fueled by it? Or are you like angry about it or hey, there might be something to some of this? What does it generate in your head when that is sort of the atmosphere around the team?
“It’s been like that for years now, even before we won the ‘22 championship. They always find something to nitpick and that’s because there’s expectations for us to win. So you kind of take that in stride. And for me, I guess my approach is to dumb it down to what I said when we were in LA, is just trying to figure out how to win a game at a time and give yourself some momentum and some confidence and some energy. We’ll get to the point where everybody knows the checkpoints throughout a season. That’s no secret to anybody what February looks like or, playoff push and what you need to show as a team to be a serious threat to win a playoff series or whatever the case is. We’re nowhere near that. We’re just trying to win right now. So I kind of like it right here because it gives you a little bit of juice to stay locked in on 48 minutes at a time. It’s all cliches, but it really is a fun kind of way to approach the game because you feel a sense of urgency, and you’re not really taking anything for granted. And that’s what you kind of saw tonight.”
STEVE POSTGAME BOS-GSW
The Steph shot was right in front of you. Could you even believe he got that off? Did you kind of see it happening? Take us through that, that saw the whole play unfold.
STEVE KERR POSTGAME BOS-GSW: “Chris ended up with the rebound or the loose ball, whatever that was. And I saw him look up at the shot clock because it’s what great point guards do. And he saw himself. He saw Steph like he glanced at the shot clock and saw Steph across the court. So Chris knew he had enough time and nothing shocks me with Steph. I mean, that shot was insane. the catch and shoot the arc. but I fully expected it to go in and I think all of our fans did too, guy’s magical. He just, you can’t explain it. That’s just the kind of stuff he does.
Steve, I was like planning my day while that ball was in the air. What do you, what do you do? What are you thinking when that ball is, is coming, is, making its descent?
“I was just, I was watching it in slow motion, just like I said, I thought it was going in the whole way and then to put us up four with 10 seconds left, obviously the backbreaker and that was, Steph brings, he brings joy to the world. He’s incredible. One of the sub stories of this game will be Trayce.”
I think you, you played him like 29 minutes, obviously closed with him. What did you think about his performance, but also how does a night like tonight against that team make you kind of reassess like where he is on the pecking order right now?
“Well, he was tremendous. I mean, he was the player of the game. There were several huge plays. obviously. Steph’s shot probably being number one, but Trayce’s block on Jaylen Brown. But Trayce was the guy who shifted everything plus 25 in his minutes. The second great game in a row. You can see the impact he makes. So, he’s going to play. He’s going to be in the lineup… hang on one second in the lineup, meaning he’s going to be in the rotation, right? I’m not saying he’s going to be in the starting lineup. So don’t tweet that lineup. There’s lots of lineups. Trayce is going to play. All right. I just saw that I saw these guys over here. Yeah, I could see you guys like scheming up something.”
For much of the game, they answered. They had a big shot to answer and then down the stretch and in the overtime, you guys, the defense seemed to get the stops. even when they did get an offensive rebound, you were stuck with it. And what can you say about the defense?
“I thought our guys just fought. They hung in there the whole time and fought. And I thought the close of the third quarter was really a big deal to get it to 11. Giving us a chance and I just feel like games like that where you fight and compete, over and over again sometimes. The ball bounces your way. I thought Boston had several great looks down the stretch that they probably normally make, ball didn’t go in for them, went in for us, but we were also due for a game like that. We’ve lost several games at the end where things didn’t exactly go our way. So, love the poise. Chris was, he’s a hero out there tonight. He was really sick before the game and didn’t look right in the first half. I wasn’t sure he was going to be able to go in the second half and it was just spectacular for the whole second half. So a lot of guys really stepped up and helped us get this game and it feels like, this, this might be the one we need, right? This could be the game that we need. Kind of helps right the ship and hopefully we can settle in now and really get some momentum.”
Yeah, you kind of walked me right into my question. Just given the context, the quality of opponent, the emotion kind of from the game. You saw Steph get really happy for Jonathan after that stop he had on Tatum at the end of regulation, I believe. Just what can a win like this spark for you guys?
“Well, I think everybody feels great. You want your team to be rewarded for a great effort. And so they were rewarded tonight. And we’ve got a great group, great chemistry. These guys really like each other. They compete for one another. The early part of the season has been strange in a lot of ways, lots of things going on, but also absences and difficulty finding combinations that have clicked, but we’re hanging in, and that’s what the early part of the season is about, is figuring out who you are, and I think that’s what we’re in the process of right now, and hopefully, as I said, hopefully this win can lead to some more.”
Steve, the Celtics had 32 points in the paint, I think, like early in the second quarter. How would you sort of characterize the impact Trayce has on defense specifically and also Jonathan’s impact on the defense? I mean, it gives you a guy who can really hang with Tatum the way he did.
“Yeah, both guys were great and they give us the athleticism, the bounce. With the length and the ability to block shots and challenge shots. So, both JK and Trayce were really a big factor in our defense, kind of getting back in the game in the second half.”
Steph picks up his fifth foul in, in the third quarter, but then he plays, entirety of the fourth, all of overtime. He scored like 20 points in those two frames. Is there ever concern that he’s going to pick up that sixth foul? Or is he a guy that you just really inherently trust? I mean, he took a charge here late in the game. Do you ever?
“I always believe you just play, play your best guys in foul trouble. If they’re on the bench, they’re not playing anyway. and it’s hard to find your rhythm sometimes if you sit for 12 straight minutes and then come back. So our plan the whole time after the fifth was to take him out and start him in the fourth. and sometimes, that can backfire against a team. They were trying to go at him to pick up that sixth every time and everybody does that. And sometimes it takes you out of your offense a little bit. But mostly, Steph just did a great job of defending without fouling. And then obviously, really got cooking there in the fourth.”
Klay’s hit 23 threes the last four games. How big has he been? And do you feel him really kind of?
“He’s changed our team with his shot selection. the last four or five games, whatever it’s been. We just feel different. We feel more stable. We feel more calm. The game connects. You can feel it. Every bad or wild shot seems to turn into a layup or three at the other end. We always talk about the game, that the game is connected. If you can get good shots, you’re gonna have better floor balance. you’re gonna get more offensive rebounds. You’re just gonna have better control of the game. And so frankly, early in the season, Klay was taking a lot of bad shots and he knows that. And we talked about it quite a bit and watching him now all the drop off passes. He made several to Trayce, made several to Loon last game. and Trayce, when Klay is under control and taking good shots and we become a much better team.”
Do you know anything on Podziemski yet?
‘I don’t know.”
You didn’t want any assumptions to be made, but Looney was minus 19 and Trayce was plus 25. Do you have to think about starting him?
“We need both. We’re going to need Loon and Trayce for sure. and you think about some of the matchups around the league. We need Loon and Loon is not only one of our best interior defenders, but he’s also one of our leaders and in a lot of ways. I’ve called him the moral compass of the team. We need him out there. and given what Trayce is doing, we need Trayce out there, too. So they’ll both play.”
MORE POSTGAME BOS-GSW COVERAGE
• Marcus Thompson of The Athletic with quotes from the locker room after BOS-GSW: https://theathletic.com/5151678/2023/12/20/stephen-curry-warriors-celtics-shot-thompson/?source=emp_shared_article
“Curry’s back has to be hurting,” rookie guard Brandin Podziemski, who left the game with a lower back strain, blurted aloud randomly from his locker after the Warriors’ 132-126 overtime victory over Boston.
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“He caught it so quickly and released it in the air,” Warriors guard Cory Joseph said. “It was like one of those shots in a movie where you’re following the ball. He shot that thing so high.”
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“Being on the court, watching it, against the No. 1 team in the league,” Jackson-Davis said. “And the way that he shot it to the sky. I was right under the rim. I was looking at it like, ‘Oh, wait a minute. That might go in.’ Ridiculous.”
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“From guarding him all those years to seeing it up close now,” Joseph said. “It’s really amazing. Can’t take what he does for granted. When he gets into those zones, you just find yourself staring sometimes, just in awe.”
• Draymond postgame tweet: “GOAT activity tonight 30 💤”
• Awesome Night-Night pic and more (Kerr, Kuminga) by John Mabanglo of European Pressphoto Agency aka “EPA” for ESPN/SportsCenter:
STEVE PODIUM, STEPH/KLAY PREGAME
0:00 Thrive City 🎄 + arena entrances
0:28 Steph early for his routine again
0:49 Reggie Miller and son
2:25 Kerr on Curry’s 3PM streak ending in Portland: “My favorite thing about Steph is that when we were in the locker room after the game you never would have known in a million years that a streak ended…Looked like any other win where he’s just happy for everybody.”
3:11 on the actions without Draymond being less organic — the instinctual stuff between the two is just not replaceable. TJD stepped into part of the void last game. Isn’t sure TJD will always be in the rotation, but he adds things.
4:33 on Wiggins or Kuminga to close but not both: “Whoever is playing the best is going to be out there.”
5:39 quick recap of Steph’s routine
6:33 Josh Dunkley of Australian Rules Football
7:35 more Klay as European reporter records a video previewing the game
IN-GAME AND POSTGAME NOTES
0:00 refs: Curtis Blair, Mitchell Ervin, Derrick Collins
3:45 Ja game-winner
7:30 tipoff Looney lost! (vets)
11m15 Q1 JB attack, good Klay D but they swing for 3
10m15 Q1 good closeout on switch by BP
9m00 Q1 BP 3 miss encouraged by Steph (?)
8m40 Q1 Steph bad tov (stat goes to Loon)
7m55 Q1 JK soars
7m35 Q1 JB no good over Steph
7m25 Q1 Steph bad pivot
16:15 Markannen would be the best fit in the NBA with the Warriors vs anywhere else but…
7m00 Q1 Brissett base dunk past zone
6m30 Q1 Steph another bad tov
5m40 Q1 JK dunk past JB (and-1?)
5m10 Q1 Steph 3shot turnover
4m00 Q1 Mo fell asleep on White 3?
3m45 Q1 CP bad 3, BOS in help mode on Steph
3m45 Q1 Wiggs misses a layup
2m55 Q1 BP beats JB off the dribb right base
2m25 Q1 BP good initial POA vs JB, CP to Saric 3 (last time had Horford 1v1 and passed up to Saric up top)
27:45 Wiseman might win a 1v1 vs TJD, more talented but it’s not about talent, it’s about fit
2m02 Q1 BP causes tov by Jrue
1m30 Q1 Saric length too short vs Queta
33:00 analyzing the non-travel call
10m45 Q2 Wiggs doesn’t box out
9m33 Q2 BOS transition bucket
9m12 Q2 BP holding on the screen although he was held (50/50)
8m50 Q2 Saric too small vs Queta
8m40 Q2 Saric took too long to post up the small (Queta helped)
8m15 Q2 timeout to get Steph in
7m15 Q2 TJD tov, too slow in post
6m22 Q2 Klay great close vs White
6m05 Q2 BP tap out steal, then shovel pass to JK dunk
5m30 Q2 Steph tov again!!
5m05 Q2 Klay bad base J albeit 5-for-7 til then
4m50 Q2 TJD block! Cid Kagenou: “Podz TJD defense is the real deal”
4m20 Q2 JK should’ve been and-1 vs White, Reggie Miller son tonight’s Taylor Swift?, there should be a computer where it flips a coin anytime a call is like 50/50 or maybe 55/45 at most and just see if NBA refs might as well be coins
3m40 Q2 TJD P&R CP
2m00 Q2 JK great hustle, oreb tap out from him, steal
1m15 Q2 Steph 3rd pf, non-playoff foul, you can’t reverse that from the replay, but the problem in bball is that lots of these ticky-tack calls need to be not called
1m00 Q2 BP hurt, Queta got him on the screen in the back
0m50 Q2 CP trademark J misses again, what are the stats on that this year?
1:04:00 DIATRIBE ON BROKEN REF SYSTEM
1:08:15 analyzing TJD’s missed P&R vs JB at 3m40
1:18:00 James Warner: “I’ll say this, you guys need to pull up the interview Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells had with the official that got banned from the NBA. He talked about how NBA games are fixed”
10m00 Q3 ref wanted to call foul on Steph but resisted
9m30 Q3 Klay travel after the timeout, ATO wasn’t great anyway (1v1), Jrue guarding JK (respect)
8m20 Q3 Steph bad attempt at taking a charge
8m10 Q3 foul on JK is non-shooting
8m00 Q3 Steph misses a 3 he’s never been more open on
6m47 Q3 good jump block by JK but JT ends up with 3
6m25 Q3 JK decides to not attack Queta
6m15 Q3 Klay decides not to help Steph vs JB post and he picks up his 5th
5m45 Q3 CoJo in for Steph and this must be a rotation thing with not going with Mo
4m40 Q3 JK attacks Queta this time, do not defer anymore!
4m20 Q3 CoJo and CP in, must be per rotation structure, I might tip it up and go ad hoc
4m00 Q3 Klay to TJD roll
3m45 Q3 good help TJD JB missed
1m35 Q3 Mo in for Dario seems to be a rotation thing too
12m00 Q4 Steph in, good energy til next note
10m10 Q4 TJD def 3
10m00 Q4 zone gives up a 3
9m45 Q4 Steph another bad tov
9m20 Q4 Steph curl 3 via Wiggs cut/screen
8m50 Q4 CP touchdown Wiggs
1:54:00 analyzing the Steph 3 curl
7m55 Q4 TJD putback, can’t take him out, comes out soon (many mins in a row?)
6m45 Q4 JK puts pressure, dishes to Mo
5m20 Q4 Steph should’ve been and-1
4m50 Q4 Mo takes Horford
4m09 Q4 sub: TJD back in for Saric after two fouls by him
4m00 Q4 Klay open 3, I’m surprised they left him
3m50 Q4 CP brain fart foul at halfcourt in penalty
3m20 Q4 JB bad forearm vs Steph
3m03 Q4 Steph 3 deep in front of Lacob, TJD screen
2m34 Q4 challenge TJD foul? BP comes out for a high five with Steph
2:09:45 NFL having so many angles like Bell fumble in Niners game
2m00 Q4 White 3 when JK could’ve just trapped
(forgot what to notate here but something happened)
0m55 Q4 TJD rebound hustle!
0m03 Q4 JK tremendous D on JT, CP tries to call timeout
4m20 OT Klay ok vs post up JB, TJD wasn’t as trusting
3m30 OT JK steal!!!!
3m07 OT TJD good close out on Al miss 3
2m50 OT Klay dish to TJD dunk
2m30 OT TJD blocks JB!!!!
2m10 OT Klay dagger miss but I’m ok with it
1m10 OT Klay bad runner
0m57 OT Steph great D vs JT, TJD multiple jumps vs Horford
0m43 OT goat finish by Steph on CP interference
0m18 OT TJD tap oreb CP to Steph chaos 3, PARABOLA
0m07 OT TJD of course dreb
2:32:30 the thing about Trayce is that he gets off the floor so quickly like a pogo stick
2:44:45 TJD POSTGAME FOYER
2:47:45 Bruce: “Curry with shots like this makes me forget his TOs 😆”
2:48:00 on CoJo: “was just plug and play for Steph in 2nd unit, really. But we can’t really question it now because they won. Technically “it worked”
2:50:15 coaching staff tries to avoid making stuff up as they go, on how I’ve had that experience as a coach having a 9-man rotation and the 9th guy got mad at me even though we won the championship
2:53:30 JK POSTGAME AUDIO (NON-PODIUM)
2:58:00 STEVE POSTGAME AUDIO
3:00:45 on TJD process, patience, pounding the rock, Looney can still be effective after playing zero
3:02:15 JK POSTGAME AUDIO (NON-PODIUM)
3:02:30 Ruckus Lee: “per Shaq (earlier): “I hate that Sham put that narrative on him… The man don’t need counseling. On the court he don’t need nothing. Off the court he’s a solid human being. He’s a good man…”Everybody has to have a certain character on the court. I was mean on the court. Off the court I was a different person.”
3:04:00 on trusting the process, it can’t really be measured that this process was good for TJD to go through to achieve this point — this is where I diverge from Festus Ezeli in his Rebuilding the Beast on IG, the whole “you’re right where you need to be”
3:11:00 on @wydjody’s IG post of Steph DHO to Loon touch handoff to Steph: TJD might not have that, but now it’s like what he brings outweighs that fact
3:14:45 on having negative people in the room:
3:16:00 BP tweeting he’ll be alright
3:17:00 Kendra says TJD said Klay shed the nickname Baby T to Trayce Jr
3:21:30 on trading Draymond, MDJ basically says that’s not happening: https://www.letsgowarriors.com/p/dunleavy-confidence-positivity-warriors-draymond
3:27:15 rey1953 on MDJ saying he viewed JP as a long-term piece: the podcast with TK had a lot more context around it than I remember with JP, but you never know — hard to trade Dray but let’s see how he is when he comes back
3:29:00 DEAN CHAMBERS COMES ON
3:29:45 Draymond just tweeted: “GOAT activity tonight 30 zzz”
3:30:30 TJD on the podium: “a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” for Steph
3:30:45 still feel good even if they’d lost, not a good Wiggs game
3:36:15 scrapping and hustling gets you “lucky” rebounds
3:40:00 we didn’t get a good Wiggs or Loon vs BOS and BP got hurt, Steph cleaned his tov up
3:43:00 looking at the boxscore
3:48:00 on JB doing the “too small” gesture after Steph got his 5th
3:50:00 on “flow state” and CP helping with that with BP out
3:52:45 Steve postgame podium: “We’re gonna need both” (Loon and TJD) — Loon is the “moral compass of the team”
3:53:45 on Saric, Loon, TJD: knows when to jump
3:58:00 TJD POSTGAME AUDIO
4:00:30 KLAY POSTGAME AUDIO
4:06:30 Dean: props to Celtics
4:10:00 Dean on criticism of Kerr, these guys are ready, meritocratic system, this was “masterful”, on sending CP to set the pick to get Horford on Steph, a different look
4:16:00 ENTIRE STEVE POSTGAME VIDEO
4:27:30 Dean: from 4m50 Q3 final 21 mins: 62-39 run
4:28:45 Nicole says Steph mimicked he was drinking champagne or tea after the night-night
4:31:15 on Kuminga: prevented Tatum from a 3, Steph went nuts in praise, red-faced in excitement, for me JK finally had a great game against a contender, played better than “prospect play”
4:36:00 Dean analyzed the screen switches of TJD and CP3 and then Steph
4:40:15 ENTIRE CP3 POSTGAME VIDEO
4:48:00 ENTIRE TJD POSTGAME VIDEO
4:52:30 ENTIRE KLAY POSTGAME VIDEO
4:57:00 on Draymond, update, and Dean says for Dray to get examples and game tape
5:03:00 Dean says Silver regime seems open to change
👍👍💛💙