The Boston Celtics emerged victorious over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals by a score of 116-100. The contest was another physical one between the two squads, with one play in particular standing out. Late in the fourth quarter, Celtics forward Al Horford and Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry were in pursuit of a loose ball when Horford dove on Curry's leg, prompting the sharpshooter to yell out in pain.
Curry, who appeared to sustain an injury, left the game, though Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said it was not related to the ailment. A social media firestorm ensued, with many pointing the finger at Horford for what they perceived as a “dirty play.” Not on teammate Marcus Smart's watch. The Celtics fiery defensive star delivered this stern message to Horford's critics, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
“It’s the Finals. You’ve got guys diving all over the place. Their guys are diving into us. We don’t say nothing,” Smart told Yahoo Sports. “We’re getting hurt as well, but we continue to play. Nothing is intentional. It’s the Finals. We’re trying to win just like them. First one to the ball, as we all know, wins. They can complain all they want. It is what it is. There’s nothing dirty about it. It’s fair game. It’s fair basketball. It’s Finals basketball. … Nobody is out here trying to hurt anybody.”
Smart said that “it's the Finals” and that “nobody is out here trying to hurt anybody.” The Celtics guard does have a point, as there didn't seem to be any intent in the part of Horford other than getting to that loose ball for his team.
No one wants to see anyone get hurt, especially Curry. Such is the nature of this physical, Celtics-Warriors series, though.
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