Volume Five: The Unrivaled

The word "save" might have been a bit much, of course. Everyone knew Curry was the Warriors' undisputed core, and his performances in the first three games had won over the fans. But Curry alone couldn't beat the Celtics. If the Warriors wanted to win, Antetokounmpo was indispensable. Zhang Yu had set a trap for Kerr based on his understanding of him. Kerr had fallen into it, and although he climbed back out right away, that one misstep had sent the Celtics plunging into an abyss. When both sides had superstars—and more than one—defense could no longer decide the outcome. The offensive efficiency of each side's stars would determine who won. But Zhang Yu had shortened the rotation to the absolute minimum, practically an eight-man rotation. Besides the starting five, that meant Bogdan, Brogdon, and Looney. Lopez couldn't switch on defense, so he had only played six minutes. He'd been a winner ever since his days in the NCAA, winning every honor there was. He'd never suffered a major injury or experienced failure. Why would he cry? Antetokounmpo's return was like rain after a long drought for the Warriors. Only with him linking up inside and Curry outside could the Warriors reach their strongest form. In the first three games of the NBA Finals, the Celtics had the edge in star power and matchups. Now, Antetokounmpo's return had erased the Warriors' disadvantage in star power, and they had a huge edge in the matchups. Unless a miracle happened, the Celtics couldn't beat the Warriors. The entire Warriors team rushed onto the court and erupted in celebration. Kerr had certainly wanted to keep double-teaming Curry, but with Antetokounmpo back, that was no longer possible. Double-teams on Curry happened beyond the three-point line, leaving two defenders stranded near the top of the