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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Andy Nesbitt

The fate of the NBA Finals now likely rests on Steph Curry’s left foot, which stinks

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The Golden State Warriors lost to the Boston Celtics, 116-110, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals last night and while that defeat puts them down 2-1 in the series, what happened in the final minutes of the game could have put an end to their season.

In case you missed it, Steph Curry hurt his left foot/ankle when he got tangled up with Boston’s Al Horford while fighting for a loose ball with just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Curry was in obvious pain after it happened and then hobbled around a bit before being taken out of the game when it was clear Boston was going to get the win.

Here was that play:

Yeah, that looked painful.

Curry said after the game:

“Obviously, there will be some pain but I’ll be alright. We’ll figure out how it feels tomorrow and be ready for Friday.”

He added that it felt similar to the foot injury that he suffered against the Celtics in March, which forced him to miss the last 12 games of the regular season. Ugh.

Curry is going to do whatever it takes to get his foot feeling good enough to play but if he can’t go, or if he’s not near 100 percent, then it sure feels like the Warriors’ chances in this series will be over. Gone. Goodbye. So long.

Klay Thompson felt the same way, saying:

“Well, we need him if we want to win this thing and I know Steph will do everything he can in his power to play. I’m really hoping he’s OK because he’s our identity and without him it would be very difficult.”

Thompson is right – Curry is their identity. He kept them in it last night with his 31 points. Draymond Green, meanwhile, was terrible last night. This Warriors team can’t afford to battle the Celtics without the greatest shooter to ever play the game.

Game 4 is Friday night at the Garden and the crowd in Boston will be going crazy all night again. If Curry can’t go then you’d have to think the series will be 3-1 heading back to San Francisco. Hopefully he can play, though, because this series is so much better with him in it.

But yeah, these next 48 hours are going to be intense and could determine the fate of the Finals.

Quick hits: Jack Del Rio is the worst… Latest NBA mock draft… Tom Brady on Leonard Fournette… And more. 

Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

– My friend Chris Korman has a terrific column on Jack Del Rio and the awful things he said yesterday.

– My pal Brian Kalbrosky has his latest NBA mock draft, in which he predicts all 58 picks.

– Tom Brady was not happy when he heard Leonard Fournette was visiting the Patriots a few months ago.

– You need to see this video of two Giants fans battling for a home run ball in McCovey Cove.

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