What Anthony Davis has learned about Steph Curry in NBA playoff battles

What AD has learned about Steph in playoff battles so far originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Anthony Davis has faced Steph Curry multiple times in the NBA playoffs, with their most recent bout coming in the current Western Conference semifinals between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

And despite Davis’ dominant performance in Game 1, he has learned over the years that you can’t take any chances with Curry.

“As long as he’s on the other side, it’s not over,” Davis told reporters Wednesday.

Davis and Curry have played nine playoff games against each other throughout their illustrious NBA careers, and eight of those were when Davis was with the New Orleans Pelicans. After the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Warriors, Davis is now 2-7 against Curry in the postseason.

Their first meeting was during the 2015 NBA playoffs, when the Warriors eliminated the Pelicans with a four-game sweep in the first round. Then, in 2018, New Orleans fell to Golden State in the conference semifinals.

Could the same happen this time around? Davis isn’t counting anything out, even though Los Angeles has a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series. He knows the Lakers have to leave everything on the court when Curry is on the other side — especially after a Warriors loss.

“I remember we were up 20 in New Orleans … [Curry] went on a run, the whole team obviously, but he’s the head of the snake, and when he’s playing unbelievable basketball, which he’s more than capable of doing every night, their team just never goes away,” Davis continued. “It goes back to us having to be ultra dialed in and locked in for Game 2, knowing that he’s going to come out firing. Klay [Thompson], all those guys play better, team’s going to play better, crowd’s going to be even louder.

“As long as Steph’s on the other side, on the other team, he always gives their team a chance to win.”

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If there’s anyone who can rally his team after a loss, it’s Curry. His pre-Game 7 speech to the Warriors before they eliminated the Sacramento Kings in the first round reverberated throughout the organization, and he backed up his words with a historic 50-point explosion.

Even though home-court advantage no longer is in Golden State’s favor in the conference semifinals, it has one not-so-secret weapon on its side in Curry. And, as Davis warned, the best might be yet to come.

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