Stephen Curry’s match-winning performance against the Kings on Sunday was record-breaking for many reasons, and joined a long list of incredible outings by the greatest shooter to have ever lived. But just where does it sit on that list? These are four of the greatest performances of Steph Curry’s illustrious career.
4. Game 3, 2019 NBA Finals vs. Raptors
Curry’s Game 3 performance in the 2019 NBA Finals series against the Toronto Raptors is at times overlooked because the Warriors lost both the game and the series, but as an individual there is little more he could have done in this one. Curry was immense throughout the game, going 14-31 from the field and 6-14 from deep en route to 47 points, while also adding eight rebounds and seven assists; and all this against a Raptors defense which included the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Danny Green. Unfortunately for Curry and the Warriors, the rest of the team succumbed to that defense, shooting under 37% from the floor and hitting as many threes as Curry combined. They went down by 14 points, but it was certainly through no fault of Stephen Curry.
3. Regular season, 2016 vs. Thunder
Curry’s masterpiece against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 might not have had the significance of the other games on this list; it came in late February with the Warriors sitting at 52-5. To omit it, however, would do an injustice to the remarkable performance that this was. Curry was incredibly efficient in regular time, hitting ten of his twelve three-point attempts en route to 34 points, including a pivotal long-range bucket which helped the Warriors send the game to overtime after trailing late in the fourth. In those extra five minutes, however, is when he really came alive. Curry hit three more long-range attempts – as well as a couple of free throws – the last of which immediately entered NBA folklore. After Russell Westbrook missed a jump shot with eight seconds left and the score tied, Andre Iguodala grabbed the rebound and quickly passed it off to Curry. He casually dribbled the ball over the half-court, pulled up from 32-feet, and promptly nailed the shot with one second remaining to secure the victory. Curry ended the game with 46 points, three rebounds and six assists, and went an incredible 12-16 from three-point range. Perhaps even more incredibly, that game came after he’d score 51 against the Magic two days prior, a game which could easily have been included on this list as well.
2. Game 7, 2023 Western Conference First Round vs. Kings
Stephen Curry broke all sorts of records on Sunday night against the Kings, putting together what was unequivocally one of the greatest performances of his career to keep the Warriors’ season alive. Aged 35, Curry could be forgiven for having taken a step back this season, and in particular in a long and tense playoff series against a young, fast, spritely Kings outfit. He did the opposite. Curry put the Warriors on his back, nullifying Klay Thompson’s shooting woes by taking 38 shots of his own and hitting 20 of them en route to 50 points to go with eight boards and six dimes. The performance was the highest scoring Game 7 effort in NBA history, made Curry the second player after Karl Malone to score 50 in a playoff game at the age of 35 or over, and most importantly, led the Warriors into the Conference Semifinals.
1. Game 4, 2022 NBA Finals vs. Celtics
The Warriors headed into Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals down 2-1, and needing to beat both a Boston team and their raucous home crowd to avoid a 3-1 hole from which recovery would have been incredibly difficult. Enter Stephen Curry. The greatest shooter of all time went 14-26 from the floor, 7-14 from long range and 8-9 at the free-throw line to amass 43 points along with ten boards and four assists. He scored ten of those points in the final quarter and shot 5-6 from deep in the second half as the Warriors turned a five-point half-time deficit into a one-point lead after three quarters, before ultimately running out 107-97 winners. Having tied the series at 2-2, the Warriors went on to win their next two to secure their fourth championship of this dynastic era.
Stephen Curry’s 50-point effort on Sunday night will go down as one of the most famous of his career, and how far the Warriors end up going this season might determine exactly where it sits. If they can knock off LeBron and the Lakers and potentially go even further, this series-winning game will be remembered in an even higher regard. Even if they go down in four to the Lakers, however, this record-breaking performance will remain one of his greatest.
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