There's something about the February 27th date that lights a fire under Stephen Curry. After 11 threes and 54 points at Madison Square Garden in 2013, and an extraordinary 46-point outburst that culminated with a historic game-winner in OKC three years later, the Golden State Warriors superstar dropped his latest masterpiece in Orlando on Thursday.
Curry erupted for 12 threes and 56 points, lifting the Warriors to their fifth-straight victory thanks to a 121-115 win after trailing the Magic by as much as 17 in the second-quarter.
Stephen Curry delivered a dangerous reminder to Warriors rivals
We only have to look back to the end of Team USA's Olympic campaign in the summer to get an understanding of Curry's brilliance, but the 2x MVP has been quieter this NBA season by his lofty standards.
Curry entered Thursday having averaged 23.3 points -- his lowest non-injury interrupted mark since 2012-13. He was shooting 38.7% from 3-point range -- the third worst of his career. There were legitimate questions arising on whether the nearly 37-year-old had lost a step, and whether he remained a top 10 player in the league.
Yet Curry has been rejuvenated, like almost all his teammates, by the acquisition of Jimmy Butler earlier in the month. While Butler himself was quiet against the Magic, Curry provided a scary reminder of his capabilities with a performance only he is capable of.
Steph Curry, about to be 37 years old, is still showing people why he’s the greatest offensive player we’ve ever seen
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) February 28, 2025
First crazy Steph game of the season - the Warriors are back!
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 28, 2025
Any team with Steph curry on it going into the playoffs is a championship contender
— kb (@KoltenBurt) February 28, 2025
Golden State's playoff hopes have exponentially risen following Butler's addition, with Draymond Green professing that his team will win the championship, while former center DeMarcus Cousins stated that he'd be scared of the Warriors if he was one of the top seeds in the Western Conference.
It might be Butler's presence that's turned things around, but it's ultimately still Curry who would single-handedly terrify rivals come the playoffs. It shouldn't go ignored that Thursday's awe-inspiring performance came against the third-best defense in the league.
It was also a nice reminder for Golden State fans that this version of Curry still exists, particularly given they'll need it come playoff time if they want to make any significant noise. While there have been games and moments of Curry brilliance so far this season, his 56 on Thursday far exceeded his previous high of 38 in what's been an underwhelming year at times.
Despite the joy and excitement of Curry's performance, the Warriors will be hoping to again spread the scoring load moving forward. Butler made just one field-goal and scored five points against the Magic, while rising star Jonathan Kuminga is expected to return at some point on this five-game road-trip.