BOSTON — With eight minutes remaining in a tied Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica threw an inbounds pass directly to Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, and two-time league MVP Stephen Curry slumped his shoulders, as if to wonder what else he had to do to keep his team afloat against a younger, more athletic opponent that had been superior to that point in the series.
Curry lobbed his next pass to Boston's Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics turned consecutive Golden State turnovers into a 91-86 advantage. A commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set and three chances to win a championship — including one at home — awaited on the other side of the 7:32 left on the clock.