1. Stephen Curry versus Chris Paul
It is bittersweet to think that last decade’s greatest players are all entering their mid-30s (or approaching 40 if you’re LeBron James). The NBA is gradually ushering in a new era of stars. But, one thing has not changed — Stephen Curry and Chris Paul are two of the best point guards in the league.
Yes, at 33 years of age, Curry is en route to another prolific MVP run. Paul, on the other hand, has steadily revamped a lottery team into the reigning Western Conference champs who are on the verge of claiming the best record in the league.
Curry and Paul have faced off a total of 50 times heading into Tuesday night. Their first meeting was in 2009 when a rookie Steph scored 17 points in a loss to CP3 and the New Orleans Hornets.
Curry versus Paul all-time:
- Curry: 22.0 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds (28 wins)
- Paul: 20.2 points, 8.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds (22 wins)
Perhaps no guard other than Kyrie Irving has given Curry more of a challenge in the playoffs. Paul has consistently pushed Steph and the Warriors to the brink, forcing the Dubs to face elimination twice while losing in a competitive six games in 2019. CP3 won their first postseason battle in 2014 whereas Curry has claimed the next two (2018, 19).
Tuesday will go down as another chapter in one of the least-talked about rivalries in the league. Later in the year, we could see them go toe-to-toe in the playoffs once more.