On a night when Stephen Curry was questionable to play with a sprained shooting thumb, the Warriors star responded with perhaps the most efficient long-range shooting performance of his storied career. Curry sank all eight of his 3-point attempts en route to 30 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds, powering Golden State to a commanding 139-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unanimous Joy
In an effort to inject some joy and juice into his scuffling squad, Curry celebrated his first made three of the game by leaping and pumping his arms as if he had just thrown a touchdown pass. The festivities continued as the splashes piled up, with Curry jogging back to the bench, mouth agape and arms waving, after drilling his eighth and final triple early in the fourth quarter.
“He deserves these nights. Everything he does for us and endures. It’s so fun to see him do this…we need to cherish these nights. He’s not going to be around forever, and he is one of the most beautiful basketball players who’s ever lived.”
– Warriors coach Steve Kerr
A Desperately Needed Win
For a Warriors team that had dropped 13 of their previous 17 contests following a promising 12-3 start, this type of thorough thrashing was much-needed medicine. Seven Warriors scored in double figures, they shot a scorching 60.9% from the field, canned 22 triples, and registered a season-high 43 assists.
- Snapped a 22-game streak of failing to shoot 50% from the field
- Curry’s 8-for-8 night from deep was his most made threes without a miss
- The 34-point margin was Golden State’s largest of the season
Banking Them In
Curry’s assault featured all manner of triples – quick-trigger catch-and-shoots, step-back deliveries, even a banked-in 31-footer that stunned Curry himself. His final two treys came on back-to-back possessions midway through the fourth quarter, stretching the Warriors’ lead to a laughable 30 points and effectively ending any faint Sixer comeback hopes.
“Sometimes when you have a little injury…it kind of forces you to focus a little bit and just be free… all four [first half attempts] are really good in-rhythm shots and then from there you’re kind of just flowing.”
– Stephen Curry
“Mid” No More
Just two days after Curry assessed his team’s recent play as “mid” following a home loss to the Cavaliers, the Warriors rediscovered their joy and juice at the perfect time. Riding Curry’s peerless marksmanship and a renewed commitment to ball movement, Golden State offered a tantalizing glimpse of their championship potential. The challenge now becomes consistently bottling this formula as they navigate a daunting Western Conference landscape.
Chasing Immortality
With this flawless 8-for-8 exhibition, Curry inches ever closer to Ray Allen’s all-time record for career 3-pointers made. While Father Time remains undefeated, performances like this serve as a potent reminder of Curry’s enduring brilliance and the indelible mark he has left, and continues to leave, on the game of basketball. As Steve Kerr stated so poignantly afterwards, we are all witnesses to true greatness – and we must cherish it while we still can.
