Superstar with superlatives: Stephen Curry delivered another historic performance in the NBA
Which: AP/José Luis Villegas
Champions Golden State faced elimination in the NBA playoffs. In the decider, Stephen Curry saved the defending champion with a historic performance. Now it comes to the duel of the superstars.
KLay Thompson, 33, has witnessed exceptional performances in countless games. He has been playing alongside Stephen Curry, 35, with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA for twelve years. Thompson and Curry have one thing in common: three-pointers. Sometimes one can’t miss the basket, sometimes the other lets more threes sail in than the opposing team combined. In the US, the duo is therefore also called the Splash Brothers. brothers in spirit.
Now it was Curry’s turn again with a show. A performance that his companion will remember for a long time. “I’ll always think of the Steph Curry game in this game seven,” Thompson said after colleague Curry gave the Sacramento Kings 50 points in the deciding game of the first round of the playoffs. “There’s a reason he’s a two-time MVP.”
50 points by a pro in a decider has never been seen in the NBA playoffs. Not by Michael Jordan, not by Kobe Bryant, not by LeBron James. Curry only. In general, only 22 players have scored more points in a play-off game. Golden States Superstar heaved his team, the defending champions, with a record haul to a 120-100 against the Kings. The Warriors won the series 4:3.
Stephen Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11) are a congenial duo on the floor
Which: AP/José Luis Villegas
Now the duel with the Los Angeles Lakers for superstar James is waiting for Curry and Co. After his gala, Curry was asked who could stop him: “Hopefully we’ll never find out,” the 35-year-old responded mischievously.
Kerr raves about curry
Against Sacramento, Curry proved that, even at 35, he rarely suffers from the signs of age-related wear and tear. While the Kings were visibly exhausted in the second half, Curry kept sprinting around blocks and past opponents like he was turned on. Curry is actually always on the move in attack, even if he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. A grueling game of cat and mouse for his defenders.
What’s more, the once-boyish, baby-faced point guard has worked on his body throughout his career. His physical strength makes him independent of his throw. Against Sacramento, Curry kept scoring close to the basket, especially in the second half, and still drew fouls. “He’s one of the great players in the history of this game. It’s incredible to experience that,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, admiring his superstar’s performance.
In an even game at halftime in Sacramento, Golden State had pulled away after the halftime break and was steadily increasing the lead because Curry just couldn’t be stopped. The point guard sank 20 of his 38 shots, played six assists and collected eight rebounds. Meanwhile, the team was 24 points ahead of the surprise team from the Californian capital, who were number three. “I just wanted to look early for throws and get my teammates in position,” Curry explained on US television. Kevon Looney also played a big part in the Warriors’ win with a strong 21 rebounds.
Golden State vs. Los Angeles
After the inexperienced Kings, who had not played in the playoffs since 2004, the Warriors now face the 17-time champions from Los Angeles. “They are completely different from the Kings and present us with completely different challenges,” Curry warned. “They’re big. Everyone has to be ready.”
The anticipation of the duels Looney against Anthony Davis and Curry against James is great among basketball fans in the USA. The record champion had prevailed in six games against the number two seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Western Conference semi-final series begins on Wednesday night with game one in San Francisco. It takes four wins to reach the Western Conference Finals.
Superstars Curry and James share a long history of play-off duels. “It’s special, from the first series against him and Cleveland in 2015 to now. Two teams trying to keep their season alive and chasing the title,” Curry exulted. One statistic in particular speaks for Golden State: The team has not lost a best-of-seven series against competitors from the Western Conference in the play-offs 19 times in a row.
2023-05-01 10:40:32
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