Look: Kevin Love Responds to Steph Curry's Comments on 2016 NBA Finals Defense
June 4, 2019
Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love responded Thursday to comments from Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry about their encounter late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Curry told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.com earlier this week he felt like he cost the Dubs a title by launching a long three over Love instead of driving past the post player for a layup:
"I'm like, 'I just need a little space'—and that's where I started to rush. I look back and think I could have easily gone around [Love] and gotten a 2, and we could have gotten a stop, and then I could come back down and hit another shot, and we win another championship, instead of me going for the hero shot, which I felt like I could make. That was a shot where I was not under control.
"And it cost us a championship."
Love provided a one-word response on Twitter:
Golden State was down three after Kyrie Irving knocked down a triple with 53 seconds left. The Warriors fouled after Curry's miss, and LeBron James made one of his two free-throw attempts to stretch the lead to four. If Curry took the two, it would have been 93-91 and Dubs ball.
Instead, the Cavs held on for a 93-89 victory in Game 7 to complete a monumental comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to capture the franchise's first championship.
Curry and the Warriors bounced back to win each of the last two titles, however, and are currently tied 1-1 with the Toronto Raptors in this year's Finals.