Big-game swagger: Curry is usually at his greatest in clutch moments — on the hunt for factors, together with his signature mouthpiece dangling from a celebratory grin. Photo credit score: Getty Images
Multiple reducing edges: Curry is not only an distinctive shooter. His potential to drive fearlessly to the basket opens up holes within the rival defence. Photo credit score: Getty Images
Over the course of a richly embellished profession, Stephen Curry has routinely produced jaw-dropping performances when his crew has most wanted it. But even by his elite requirements, Sunday’s displaying towards Sacramento Kings within the winner-takes-all Game 7 was a bit particular.
Only a couple of gamers have bossed a clutch sport in a hostile constructing with such authority. It was essentially the most prolific Game 7 show in NBA historical past — Curry racked up a report 50 factors in a 120-100 win that despatched Golden State Warriors into the Western Conference semifinals, a outcome that didn’t seem probably when the reigning champion went 0-2 down within the seven-match collection.
“For Steph to be the first player ever to get 50 in a Game 7, he’s sublime,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. One of Curry’s former teammates — and Kerr’s former prices — Kevin Durant held the earlier Game 7 report: 48 factors for Brooklyn Nets in a 2021 loss to Milwaukee Bucks.
Needing to win on the highway going through an antagonistic, cowbell-clanging crowd on the Golden 1 Centre in Sacramento, Warriors required all of Curry’s appreciable genius.
And the 35-year-old guard delivered, hitting 20 of a career-high 38 shot makes an attempt, responding after nearly each large play by Sacramento. He additionally added eight rebounds and 6 assists in a efficiency dripping with swagger, his signature mouthpiece dangling from a celebratory grin.
Eye-catching acrobatics
Curry drove fearlessly to the basket with eye-catching acrobatics all sport. “I just wanted to look for shots early, get my teammates going,” the four-time NBA champion mentioned. “But when I’m looking for shots, it usually works in our favour. We started to see where the holes were and I could be ultra aggressive.”
Given Warriors’ highway woes all season, it was a brave response within the face of adversity — one thing solely sport’s best possible handle with any consistency. It was not stunning due to this fact that Curry’s teammates and coach recognised simply how distinctive he’s.
“There is a reason he is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, because he pushes us over the top in moments like this,” Curry’s long-time teammate Klay Thompson mentioned. “When he’s in the zone like that, you try to just get him in his spots, get him the ball and get out of the way. This is a Game 7 I will forever remember as the Steph Curry game.”
Kerr drew a parallel with a really well-known Chicago Bulls teammate of his from the Nineteen Nineties.
“We take Steph for granted because he’s brilliant night after night,” Kerr mentioned. “You just have to remind yourself every once in a while, big picture, this is one of the great players in the history of the game. But that’s how I felt back in my playing days with Michael Jordan. You’d see it over and over and over again, so you took it for granted. That’s how it is with Steph.”
Warriors and Curry are presently locked in battle with one other GOAT contender within the Conference semifinals: Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.
Given all of the NBA Finals historical past between them — Warriors confronted a James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 4 straight NBA Finals, successful three of them — this semifinal is a main-event in itself. “We’re blessed to be playing at this level still and excited about a new chapter,” Curry mentioned.
James, 38, and Curry, 35, are nonetheless the sport’s two largest stars — they’re the highest jersey-sellers within the league, James at No. 1 and Curry at No. 2, based mostly on rankings at NBAStore.com. So after they pit their greatest towards one another, with all the pieces on the road and just one assured to advance, it makes for can’t-miss leisure.
GOAT vs. GOAT
“They got a GOAT, we got a GOAT,” Warriors’ Draymond Green mentioned. “Epic. You got Steph, you got Bron doing it all over again. They’re not laying down, we’re not laying down.”
Whatever the result of this battle for the ages, two issues are sure: Curry’s place among the many pantheon is safe, it could strengthen but it surely gained’t weaken; and despite the fact that lingering accidents have crept into this late-career part, they aren’t proscribing the vary of his genius.
The first level is backed up by irrefutable proof. Besides his championship rings and awards, he’s the NBA’s main three-point shooter of all time, having eclipsed Ray Allen, and is within the prime 15 — and climbing — on the all-time postseason scoring chart. The 6’2” guard has additionally had a stylistic affect on basketball, revolutionising the best way the sport is performed.
What’s extra, he has the respect of the best gamers to ever do it. James has typically praised Curry, even saying he wished they might line up collectively within the NBA. Shaquille O’Neal described him as a one-off, saying, “There are great shooters, and there are phenomenal shooters. But there will never be anyone who can shoot like him.”
While accidents and fatigue have eaten into his taking part in time this season, Curry has proven that when near full health, he can hit a stage solely the very best can hope to match. The duty of carrying the Warriors on his again within the quest to defend final season’s title is fuelling him, as is the need to show that, at 35, his greatest continues to be forward of him.
Curry joked a pair of years in the past that he may play till he’s 40, however so much of true issues are mentioned in jest. He is actually doing all he can to delay his profession, keen himself via a difficult season. He sat out 11 video games with a left-leg damage and {a partially} dislocated left shoulder price him one other 11 video games. He has missed greater than 25 video games in all, whereas additionally coping with proper elbow soreness and discomfort in his left ankle.
To fight this, he has centered on restoration and diet. It’s taking extra time behind the scenes now for Curry to keep up his continuous motion on the court docket, together with postgame energy periods and visits to the burden room.
“I think he’s definitely the best-conditioned athlete that I’ve ever been around in the NBA,” Kerr mentioned. “It’s amazing just to see what he puts himself through to be ready. He is definitely a guy who’s going to age well.”
Green, who can choose him from up shut, likes what he sees from Curry. “Old is what you make it,” he mentioned. “If you go out with an old mindset, you’re going to look old. Steph approaches his day to day better than I’ve ever seen him approach it before. And it’s showing up in his game… at 35, he’s still able to do it at that level, night in and night out, with no sign of slowing down.”
