Just being able to balance even just, like, family life. “It’s another sense of that comfort, what these experiences are like dealing with the adrenaline, the nerves. And Curry says he returns to the Finals with more experience. Green says he is at the peak of his defensive powers this time around because he says he’s smarter and in the best mental space of his life. Thompson returns as a different player and person after all the injuries he has endured since the Warriors’ last Finals appearance in 2019. After making five straight Finals from 2014-15 to 2018-19 and winning three championships, Golden State missed the playoffs for two straight seasons.Ĭurry missed 60 games during the 2019-20 season due to a fractured left hand. Klay Thompson had to work his way back this season from a torn ACL and torn Achilles.īut now the Warriors are in their sixth Finals in eight years, the first team to do so since the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen-led Chicago Bulls (1991 to 1998). He’s just able to, conditioning-wise, play 35 minutes tonight, fighting over screen after screen after screen after screen, then at the other end be on the ball, get people open, knock down his shots.”įor Curry, the real reward is returning to the NBA Finals. “His defense all year has been totally underrated.

He just creates so much havoc for the defense, that even on a night like tonight where he doesn’t shoot the ball that well, he forces rotations and frees up other players. We got a lot of great players around him and guys who fit well together. “He’s our engine offensively,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Curry.

He had an all-around performance in the Western Conference finals, averaging 23.8 points, 7.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 43.9% shooting in the series. Just the excellence that he demonstrated throughout his entire career.”ĭrawing a lot of Dallas’ defensive attention, Curry finished Game 5 with 15 points and nine assists. “Especially with who it’s named after, the standard that Magic set in terms of being a champion and playing the point guard position, whatever other position he played. “The new trophy is pretty cool,” said Curry, a unanimous selection of nine media members. Stephen Curry (30) laughs with Andre Iguodalal (9) after being named the Magic Johnson Western Conference finals MVP after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Maverics 120-110 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Western conference finals mvp