Kevin Durant is generally considered the Golden State Warriors' best player. Standing just below seven feet with long arms, rare athleticism, and the ability to score and defend pretty much everywhere on the floor, the two-time reigning Finals MVP simply has fewer weaknesses than any of his teammates – and perhaps any other player in the NBA.
Still, there's an argument to be made that both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are more valuable to the Warriors than Durant, a possibility that's always existed but taken on new significance in wake of the latter's ongoing absence as the result of a calf injury. And in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Curry and Green made their strongest collective case yet that their influence on Golden State trumps that of any other.
Despite Meyers Leonard playing the game of his life and Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combining for 52 points and 19 assists, the Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-117 in overtime on Monday night, completing a sweep of the Western Conference Finals. Why? Golden State won with many strong individual efforts, but none more so than those from Curry and Green, who became the first teammates in NBA history to ever post a triple-double in the same playoff game.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have become the first pair of teammates in Postseason history to both record a triple-double in the same game.
h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/KkQgGeGQSO
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 21, 2019
Stephen Curry dropped 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in Game 4, his fifth consecutive scoring effort at least 33 points. Draymond Green, meanwhile, had 18 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals, even hitting a crucial three-pointer with under a minute left in the extra session to put the Warriors up four.
Next up for Curry, Green, and Golden State? More history, as the team plays in the NBA Finals for an unprecedented fifth consecutive season.
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