Riding the wave of a six-game winning streak, the Golden State Warriors looked well on their way again as they built a 16-point first-half lead against the short-handed Orlando Magic on Saturday night.
But the Warriors' enormous momentum threatened to go off course when the Magic battled back to take a one-point lead into the fourth, only for Curry to rescue and stabilize his team, forcing overtime where the hosts eventually prevailed with a 126-119 victory.
Stephen Curry rescues Warriors in overtime victory
Curry's shot-making continues to be superhuman, proving almost a one-man offense in the final minutes of regulation. The 38-year-old scored Golden State's last 12 points to force overtime, and they needed every one of them considering they were getting bullied on the boards while also losing the turnover battle.
It was the kind of workload Curry hasn't experienced this season, prompting head coach Steve Kerr into resting his franchise superstar and Draymond Green early in overtime. The Magic still led by one with under two minutes remaining in OT, before Curry continued to prove he's an elite closer with an and-one layup to retake the lead which the Warriors never surrendered again.
Curry finished with 41 points, six rebounds and six assists on a highly efficient 13-of-19 shooting from the floor and 5-of-10 from three-point range, continuing the kind of form that astoundingly places the veteran superstar in the MVP conversation early in the season.
Curry scored 19 combined points in the fourth and overtime. His finishing around the rim, combined with the unreal makes from beyond the mark, made for another extraordinary highlight package, but more importantly delivered the Warriors another victory.
Warriors' issues reared their head against Magic
Golden State would have preferred to not need so much from Curry, nor Yaxel Lendeborg for that matter who also had 16 of his 23 points in the fourth and overtime. But Orlando ground their way back into the game thanks to their work on the offensive glass, along with self-inflicted errors from the Warriors through untimely turnovers.
The Magic had a remarkable 24 offensive rebounds to just three for the Warriors, helping them to unload no less than 33 more field-goal attempts. Wendell Carter Jr. got going in the second half with six offensive boards and 11 overall, while four of Jamal Cain's 12 rebounds came offensively.
Golden State have plenty to work on but will ultimately walk away content, with the focus now on completing a perfect homestand when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
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