The brief timeout ended, and both sides returned to the court with the same players. Neither head coach made a substitution.
The Golden State Warriors inbounded from the backcourt, getting the ball to Stephen Curry, who dribbled it across half court.
But Goodwin did not immediately rush Curry for tight defense as he had before. Instead, he stayed where he was.
It turned out he had noticed the bodyguard lurking nearby—Draymond Green.
Clearly, Coach Kerr had carefully designed this tactical setup, specifically assigning Draymond Green as Stephen Curry's personal bodyguard to ensure Curry could bring the ball safely and smoothly across half court.
Stephen Curry expertly controlled the ball, gliding toward the frontcourt like an agile dancer.
The moment he crossed half court, Draymond Green shot to Stephen Curry's side like an arrow leaving the bow, setting a solid wall to keep Goodwin away.
Stephen Curry understood immediately. Using Draymond Green's excellent screen, he instantly found an open shooting opportunity.
However, with his experience, he knew there was a strong chance the opponent would trap him with a double-team, so he had already prepared for it.
What Stephen Curry never expected, though, was that the Boston Celtics did not use their usual double-team at all. They did not even switch defenders.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was still guarding Draymond Green, leaving a rare expanse of open space in front of Stephen Curry.
Faced with such an opportunity, Stephen Curry naturally did not hesitate. He rose decisively, lifted the ball high with both hands, flicked his wrist, and sent it flying toward the basket like a precision-guided missile.
Yet just as everyone thought the three-pointer was certain to swish through the net, a dark figure suddenly came charging in from the side like lightning splitting the sky!
With a crisp smack, that shadow