The Golden State Warriors pulled off the huge 116-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night to push themselves into the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings. Granted, the Spurs were playing without Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili
April 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors fans celebrate after a three point basket by point guard Stephen Curry (30) against the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-106. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
and Kawhi Leonard, but hey; a win is a win. Their victory paired with Houston’s loss to Phoenix allowed them to snatch the sixth seed back.
But you just can’t think about the Warriors’ win last night without thinking of Stephen Curry.
Curry, who came into the game standing just nine 3-pointers away from breaking Ray Allen’s single-season record for most threes in a season, was able to knock down seven shots from downtown to bring himself even closer to the legendary record.
“If you actually do the math on it, it’s pretty crazy of a number,” Curry said. “It’s nice to be close. It means you’re healthy and playing in pretty much every game and shooting the ball pretty well.”
Curry is finally getting the attention that he deserves. Social media was booming about Curry last night, and even ESPN NBA Insider Chris Palmer was weighing in on Curry’s performance to give some very bold, yet encouraging words.
Steph Curry is the best shooter I've ever seen.
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) April 16, 2013
The Warriors pulled away from the Spurs late after they went on a fascinating 19-0 run led by Curry’s hot shooting as he inched closer and closer to reaching the historic feat.
In nearly 39 minutes of action, Stephen Curry scored 35 points, hauled in eight rebounds, and dished out five assists in addition to knocking down 7 of 13 from beyond the arc. It was a performance that really just solidifies himself as a star in today’s league, and should make people wonder even more why he was not voted as an All-Star this season.
“I wish we could rewind to those All-Star votes,” head coach Mark Jackson said. “Some of those people should raise their hand and apologize to the guy.”
Curry was crossing defenders up all night and hitting several shots from all degrees of difficulty, and it was just a beauty to watch.
His 54-point game at Madison Square Garden came in a loss, and so did his 47-point performance at Staples Center. However, Curry made sure that his 35-point game would not be wasted on Monday night in front of the enthusiastic and faithful home crowd. He made sure that his team got the win.
Curry now sits just two 3-pointers away from breaking Ray Allen’s single-season record, and you can bet that he will be firing away from deep in their regular season finale in Portland.
So when you drain seven 3-pointers and come inches away from breaking Ray Allen’s record, lead your team in scoring with 35 points, while also leading the way to a late 19-0 run to seal the deal in the last regular home game of the season to claim the sixth seed in the West, what grade do you deserve?
Well, I believe that Stephen Curry’s performance on Monday night deserves a remarkable A. I would give him an A+ if he had broken the record.