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There might be no hotter hand in the NBA playoffs than Seth Curry. The Sixers guard has exploded for 10 three-pointers in the first two games against Atlanta, all of them coming in clutch moments. He is now shooting 66.7% from deep in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
How good has Curry been for Philadelphia? Well, look no further than his four-minute stretch in the second quarter of Game 2. The Hawks were mounting a comeback with 5:36 showing and had cut the Sixers’ lead to 41-35 when he rifled a 26-footer into the net. Nine-point advantage.
Curry did it again at the 3:39 mark by hitting a 28-footer to increase the lead to 11 points at 51-40. And one more time with 1:43 left in the frame as his 24-footer made it 54-45. He hit the big shot every single time the Sixers needed one.
“I think it’s a nice bounce-back game for us,” Curry told reporters after Game 2. “Individually, just coming out to be consistent on both ends of the floor stick to our coverages defensively, create havoc, and do a lot of stuff. Offensively be versatile, spread the floor, and make plays, just to do a lot of stuff.”
The 30-year-old often gets lost in his big brother’s shadow, but the younger Curry has charted his own historic course. According to The Athletic, he is the only player in the tracking data era to have hit more than 50% of his “wide open” threes over this career (50.2%). A “wide open” three is defined as a shot that happens with six or more feet of room between the shooter and the defender. Curry has 72 points in his last three playoff games while going 13-of-21 from deep.
“Now he’s making a name for himself,” veteran teammate Danny Green said. “Now he’s having a career year. Which is amazing.”
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Curry Gives Positive Health Update
Curry tested positive for COVID-19 back in January and sat out a few games for health and safety reasons. The sharpshooting guard recently admitted that he still battles breathing issues while using an inhaler to keep those lungs fully charged. Curry knows he’s not 100-percent and probably won’t be back to normal until after the summer.
“Once I get the full summer, I’ll be back to fully where I want to be, but I’m more than good enough,” Curry said after Game 2. “Coach is doing a good job of giving me rest when I need it and just constant communication with them about how I’m feeling out there on the floor throughout the game. You just got to play through a lot of stuff come playoff time.”
Again, that hasn’t stopped Curry from making it rain. According to Stathead, Curry joined JJ Redick (four times) and Allen Iverson (twice) as the only Sixers ever to make at least five threes in more than one playoff game. He is averaging 17.3 points and 2.7 assists per game in seven postseason contests this season.
Team Work Makes the Dream Work
It’s been a collective effort this season for the Sixers. They have battled COVID-19 outbreaks and injuries to their Big Three for long stretches. Joel Embiid missed 21 games. Ben Simmons was sidelined for 14 games. And Tobias Harris sat for 10 games. All that strife has hardened them for the postseason.
“We were one of the best teams all year in terms of adapting and adjusting and dealing with the different things thrown at us,” Harris said after Game 2. “Whether it be injuries or losses, just getting onto to the next thing. I thought tonight we showed that. We were able to find ways that we were really able to just excel as a group so I thought we did a great job of that.”
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