On January 14th, Beijing time, the Golden State Warriors suffered another loss, leaving many puzzled as to why the final shot was not given to Stephen Curry. Hield, who had a poor shooting night going 3 for 13, continued to force shots, leaving many wondering where his confidence came from.
The Golden State Warriors lost by 3 points on the road to the Raptors, leaving Curry frustrated as he crouched dejectedly at the sidelines after the game. He desperately wanted to win, but unfortunately, it was clear that he couldn't do it alone. Statistically, Curry had an impressive game with 17 shots made out of 26 attempts, scoring 26 points with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. However, the weakest link in the starting lineup was Hield, who only managed to make 2 out of 10 three-point attempts. Shockingly, in the most crucial moment of the game, the Warriors chose to give the ball to Hield instead of Curry.
The final buzzer-beater attempt left everyone scratching their heads as to why they didn't pass the ball to Curry. Was Coach Kerr's strategy confusing? The Warriors were leading by a significant margin, but in the closing moments, Kerr opted for a lineup with one big man and four small forwards, allowing the Raptors to close the gap rapidly. Even after being overtaken by 3 points, the Warriors still had a chance.
With 3.8 seconds left, they trailed 101:104, which was an opportunity to tie the game, or even potentially win with a 3+1 play. However, the Warriors' strategy was bizarre, with everyone on the scene knowing that the shot should go to Curry, and the camera continuously focused on him.
Unexpectedly, Curry initially waited in the corner, pretending not to receive the ball, while Mikel, who was throwing the inbound pass, gave the ball to Hield. As Curry accelerated to get into position to receive the ball, Hield decided to take a three-pointer without passing, resulting in a miss. This left Curry extremely disappointed, and he walked away. The strategy was indeed perplexing, as Curry never even touched the ball.
The key point is that Curry was open to receive the pass. Initially, he pretended not to be ready to receive the ball, creating a feint, and then broke free to come out. If Hield had passed the ball back, the situation would have been different. So, why wasn't the ball given to him in the end? Why did Hield choose to shoot under heavy defense from two defenders?
Curry had shaken off his defender, yet his teammate didn't pass the ball, leaving many puzzled. Despite having a significant lead, the Warriors ultimately lost the game. This particular play was indeed confusing, leaving people questioning how their tactics were arranged. Or perhaps it's just to ask Steve Kerr, the coach, if he had clearly instructed his teammates to pass the ball to Curry in the critical moments.