In their first must-win game in the Chase Center, Stephen Curry put on a show. Receiving “MVP” chants throughout the night, Curry answered the call and showed more emotion than Warriors fans have seen in the last two years. An ode to Baron Davis showed the true heart that Golden State, and their fans, have in what could be an incredible playoff run.
Iconic moments.@StephenCurry30 x @BaronDavis pic.twitter.com/kRc58lbwuv
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 16, 2021
With a spot in the 7-8 play-in game on the line, the Warriors answered the call. A convincing 113-101 win over Memphis saved Golden State from needing two wins to make the “real” NBA playoffs. Now, Golden State has two chances to secure a date with either the Utah Jazz or the Phoenix Suns.
Curry admitted that having 4,000 home fans did play a part in his clutch performance.
“There’s a different vibe when the game has consequences and means something. Especially in those moments, it is nice to have some sort of an atmosphere with fans in the building going crazy. It was loud in there for how many people were in there and we have missed that for a very very long time,” said Curry.
Even Andrew Wiggins acknowledged how incredible it was to watch Curry in front of the Chase Center crowd.
“Sometimes you just pinch yourself watching. Just the greatness. It’s so special,” said Wiggins.
Curry entered Game 72 against the Memphis Grizzlies needing only 4 points to secure his 2nd NBA Scoring Title. Because of the impressive defensive presence provided by Dillon Brooks, Curry did not achieve that feat until 3:24 left in the first quarter. Curry missed his first four shots which was a key factor in the Grizzlies blazing 17-8 start.
Thankfully, Curry’s slow start did not last long. Golden State won the minutes without Curry at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, and Curry played aggressively after returning in the 2nd. However, the 3rd quarter was the time where Golden State made their true magic. The Warriors outscored Memphis 30-21
Curry took a career-high 36 shots en route to his 38th 30-point game of the season. As the only person, not named Michael Jordan, over the age of 33 to be crowned scoring champion, Curry capped his season with a magical 72nd game: 46 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
46 PTS | 7 REB | 9 AST
Unreal performance from @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/EXNEOVFPzf
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 16, 2021
Curry was supported by incredible performances from Wiggins and Draymond Green. A 21 point and 10 rebound double-double from Wiggins combined with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists from Green kept Curry afloat until he exploded in the 3rd quarter. Even with Memphis’ Jonas Valanciunas dominating inside, 29 points and 16 rebounds, the Warriors led the rebounding effort and beat Memphis at their own game.
The culminating blow for Memphis was Brooks fouling out only 3 minutes into the 4th quarter. Brooks led the Grizzlies on an 8-0 run to open the final quarter, but a blocking foul called on Brooks sent the heart and soul of the Grizzlies packing. After Brooks left, Curry exploded in the 4th quarter and the Warriors never looked back.
With Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid leading most of the NBA MVP discussion, Curry made his final case to the voters on Sunday afternoon. With historic numbers that dwarf even his unanimous MVP season, a clutch performance to end the season could just earn Curry a few more votes. What Curry did in 2020-21 was truly incredible, setting records that either only Jordan has held, or no one has done before.
Steph Curry 2020-21 season:
— 32.0 PPG (leads NBA)
— Oldest to win scoring title since MJ
— 38 30-point games (most since MJ)
— 337 threes (leads NBA)
— 4th 300-three season (most ever)
— 7 10-three games (most ever)
— 5.3 3PG (most ever)
— Broke Warriors all-time scoring record pic.twitter.com/DS84gkjcAv— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 16, 2021
If you don’t believe the numbers, listen to LeBron James himself.
“We are playing versus, in my opinion, the MVP of our league this year in Steph,” said James.
The Warriors will face the Los Angeles Lakers on May 19. It will represent the NBA’s first experience with the play-in game format for the playoffs. The loser of that game will face the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs winner for a final shot at the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
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