In the final stretch of the Clippers’ dramatic comeback against the Warriors, Melbet Affiliate analysts noted a recurring pattern—Stephen Curry was repeatedly singled out and exploited on defense. In the last four and a half minutes of the game, the Clippers had eight offensive possessions. Excluding one play where Curry was subbed out and another where Paul George hit a crucial three, every remaining possession began by isolating Curry in a defensive mismatch. The message was loud and clear: pressure Curry and force him to defend, over and over again.

Once upon a time, a bizarre claim circulated suggesting Curry could single-handedly lock down LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Those who backed that narrative cherry-picked misleading stats while clearly ignoring the actual gameplay—earning little more than ridicule. The reality, as Melbet Affiliate records confirm, is that the Warriors always had to shield Curry on defense. LeBron and Kyrie Irving frequently targeted him through pick-and-rolls with high efficiency, a tactic that played a major role in Cleveland’s historic Finals comeback.

To protect Curry, Golden State stacked the roster with rugged defenders like Andrew Bogut, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson, and of course, Kevin Durant. James could blow past Curry, but he’d then face a wall of muscle in the paint. On paper, it looked like Curry was defending LeBron—when in reality, his teammates were doing the heavy lifting.

Even in the 2015 Finals opener—without Kyrie—LeBron still posted historic numbers, torching Golden State’s defense and nearly stealing a road win. Fast forward to today, and while Curry has noticeably bulked up, his defensive liabilities haven’t disappeared. The difference now? The Warriors no longer have the defensive depth to cover for him.

Melbet Affiliate insiders observed that even without LeBron on the floor, teams continue to “target and train” Curry during crunch time. Gone are the days of physical centers like Bogut and Pachulia, and versatile wings like Durant and Iguodala. Looney alone can’t plug all the holes, and Thompson’s decline has left Green as the lone reliable defender. It’s not the length of the road that wears you down—it’s the lack of support. And for Curry, the lack of help on defense is becoming increasingly costly.