Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is clearly a huge admirer of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Alexander-Arnold presented Curry with a Liverpool shirt back in 2018 ahead of a Premier League clash with Tottenham, and congratulated him in December 2021 after he broke the NBA’s all-time three-point scoring record.
On Sunday, as he settled down to relax after an epic 4-3 victory over Tottenham, Alexander-Arnold may have been awestruck by Curry’s performance against the Sacramento Kings. The two-time MVP dropped 50 points on the road as the Warriors prevailed in a win-or-go-home situation to seal their place in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs in the NBA.
It was not only a postseason career high for the 35-year-old
It was also the most points any player had scored in a Game Seven. The 120-100 victory guides the Warriors through to a semi-final match-up with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who beat the two-seed Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
For the Warriors, this was a triumph of experience above all else. Even when they lost the first two games in Sacramento, and when they spurned a chance to close it out at home in Game Six after rattling off three straight wins, you never had the sense that the series was getting away from them.
In total, 111 out of 146 Game Sevens in NBA history have been won by the home team
but this was a Sacramento outfit that hadn’t been in the playoffs since 2006 (the longest drought in elite US sports) up against the reigning NBA champion.
And the Kings’ naivety showed in the all-important third quarter as they shot 7-21 from the field and were out-scored 35-23 by Golden State, which robotically executed its game-plan, stuck to its principles and took command of the contest.
There was an air of total belief around the San Francisco ball club
unsurprisingly given that Steve Kerr and his big three of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have won four world titles. This dynasty is one of the best examples of the value of experience in sport. In truth, it has shown Liverpool exactly what it has lacked for much of the season.
Many members of the Reds’ squad have achieved greatness, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League a year later. But the resilience that fueled those triumphs, and impressed Kerr himself (via Wall Street Journal), has deserted a number of key players this year.
Liverpool ultimately ran out victorious against Spurs on Sunday
but the manner in which it surrendered a three-goal lead was deeply concerning. It’s part of an ongoing game-management problem Alexander-Arnold admits is unbecoming of ‘top teams’.
The Reds’ experience has also deserted them when they have needed it most away from home this season, contributing heavily to the paltry return of 19 points from a possible 51, only the ninth-best record in the Premier League.
It’s one thing playing in the comfort of your own surroundings, but Klopp’s men have folded under pressure from raucous home crowds rather than asserting themselves.
And finally, in the Champions League, there was only one team that looked like seasoned winners as Liverpool met Real Madrid in the round of 16. Los Blancos were unruffled as they fell two behind early on in the first leg at Anfield, and ruthlessly punished.
The host’s errors to run out 5-2 victors and effectively settle the tie before the return fixture in Spain.
Liverpool may not even be in that competition next season, but if they’re to return to contention in the Premier League at least, big players like Alexander-Arnold must once again show that they can deal with moments of adversity by tapping into the lessons of their past triumphs.
In doing so, they would be emulating Curry and the Warriors, not to mention Real Madrid, all of whom have shown remarkable longevity.
Read Also:- Watch – ‘Uncle Jeff’ Green turns back the clock with a mean poster on Damion Lee