With Jimmy Butler now in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors have proven themselves capable of winning games without a vintage Stephen Curry offensive outburst. But they absolutely needed him to erupt in Thursday night's road matchup versus the Orlando Magic (29-32). Fortunately, the legendary shooter obliged.

Curry scored a mammoth 56 points on 16-of-25 shooting in the Warriors' 121-115 win versus the Magic. The 2022 NBA Finals MVP and two-time regular season MVP buried 12 3-pointers, reminding everyone that he is still lethal at almost 37 years of age. He led his team back from a 17-point deficit and to its fifth straight victory (matches season-high streak). His magnificence knew no range on this night.

In a precursor to the second-half turnaround to come, Curry nailed a shot from beyond the Magic logo as time expired in the first half. That could have been a consolation prize that Warriors fans looked back fondly on in an otherwise disappointing game. Instead, it becomes a tremendous highlight of a world-class shooting exhibition.

Despite witnessing this type of dominance in the past, the basketball-watching world is in awe of Chef Curry's latest exquisite dish.

“Curry just went lights out for an hour straight,” @BabylonCenter commented on X. “There will never be someone like Steph,” @Sazo5x said. “Steph greatest shooter of all time no debates,” @Willythedobe proclaimed. “Chef Curry in full cook out mode,” @EmporiumPixels observed.

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Warriors can still lean on Stephen Curry

Almost 16 seasons in, this future Hall of Famer is still capable of obliterating defenses. He shifted into an elite gear in the Kia Center, and stayed there essentially for the entire night. 2024 second-round draft pick Quinten Post scored 18 points off the bench, but no other Golden State player came close to 20. Stephen Curry put the Warriors on his back and might have lifted them to seventh place in the West by the time Thursday's slate of NBA action concludes.

Ideally, the Dubs will not need No. 30 to drop 50-plus points to beat sub-.500 squads moving forward, but it is good to know that he still possesses this type of firepower. Curry and the Warriors (32-27) continue their five-game road trip, next traveling to Wells Fargo Center to square off with the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers (20-38) on Saturday.