Warriors point guard Steph Curry’s foot seemed to hold up just fine in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Curry did everything in Golden State’s 107-97 win Friday night, scoring 43 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He made tough shot after tough shot, keeping the Warriors in reach through three quarters and then helping them pull ahead down the stretch.
“I think he was really laboring out there,” joked coach Steve Kerr. “He really struggled.”
Curry was initially listed as probable because of a foot injury suffered late in Game 3. But he always sounded confident he would play — and for good reason. After spending Thursday focused on treatment and recovery, Curry turned in debatably the best postseason game of his career. His foot “never even looked like it was a factor,” Kerr said.
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The training staff told Kerr that Curry was “good to go” after shootaround Friday morning. He was not on a minutes restriction, and ended up playing 41, his highest total of the Finals.
“It just says a lot about his toughness and his competitive nature and what it truly means to be a winner,” said forward Draymond Green.
Curry sustained the injury while scrambling for a loose ball in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Celtics forward Al Horford ended up sitting on his left foot, the same foot Curry sprained on a similar play that sidelined him for the final month of the regular season.
Kerr was particularly impressed with how Curry responded given the circumstances.
“Just stunning,” he said. “The physicality out there is pretty dramatic. I mean, Boston’s got, obviously, the best defense in the league — huge and powerful at every position. For Steph to take that kind of pressure all game long, and still be able to defend at the other end when they are coming at him, shows you, I think, that this is the strongest physically he’s ever been in his career. It’s allowing him to do what he’s doing.”
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He’s on the record
Throughout the NBA Finals, Green has continued to record his eponymous podcast. The episodes, spanning anywhere from 15-30 minutes, feature Green breaking down the most recent game with thoughts on both teams, his own performance, and potential adjustments.
So, is Green worried about the Celtics listening for intel?
“No,” he said Wednesday after Game 3.
On his latest episode that aired Thursday, Green pushed back against those that argue he shouldn’t be recording during the postseason.
“It’s so funny when I hear people say, ‘Oh, he shouldn’t be podcasting,’ ” Green said. “So what should I be doing when I get to my room? Should I go to sleep? Should I watch the film of the game? Because I’m going to be doing that anyway. What should I be doing when I get to my room? I want to know the real answer from people that say, ‘Draymond shouldn’t be podcasting.’ ”
He also confirmed he has no plans to stop recording for the remainder of the Finals.
“Listen, y’all are going to get this podcast,” Green said. “Like I told y’all at the beginning of these playoffs, this podcast ain’t going nowhere. I’m going to leave the arena, I’m going to return to this hotel room, I’m going to return to my home when we’re back in San Francisco, and I’m going to film this podcast.”
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Atkinson reportedly hired by New Orleans
Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is expected to become head coach of the New Orleans Hornets, according to multiple reports. Kerr did not comment because the news is not yet official. Atkinson previously coached the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons . . . With their victory, the Warriors are 6-0 after a loss this postseason . . . The Warriors are plus-49 in the third quarter of these Finals, adding six to that Friday, while the Celtics dropped to a plus-31 in the fourth.
Read more Celtics stories
▪ Tara Sullivan: What looked a perfect night instead turned into a lost opportunity for the Celtics
▪ Instant analysis: Steph Curry pours in 43 points, and other observations as Warriors rip Game 4 from Celtics
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.