SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry refused to be stopped. Not this evening. Not at Chase Center. Not by the Boston Celtics and their third-ranked defense. Not with his recent cold shot spell. Not through tiredness. Not because of a guilty conscience. Not because of the doubt and dysfunction that surrounds the Golden State Warriors.
“Curry’s back probably hurts,” blurted loudly from his locker after the Warriors’ 132-126 overtime win over Boston, after rookie guard Brandin Podziemski left the game with a lower back strain.
There was too much at stake. The Warriors are trying to re-evaluate their season. After a series of blown victories and the subsequent indefinite suspension of Draymond Green, they are struggling to find their balance. They needed electrifying greatness to recover from a disappointing first third of the season, struggling stars, wobbly rotations and the realities of a monstrous Western Conference.
Once Curry understood the assignment, he took over the task. In the final 17 minutes on Tuesday, including overtime, he scored 20 points and assisted on another nine points, finishing with 33 points and 6 assists.
But dynamics arise from moments. Curry, a master of the memorable, was in top form and determined to deliver the decisive victory Golden State so desperately needed. With the Warriors up by two in overtime, he rolled off a screen and drove in with Jaylen Brown on his hip. Curry got to the top of the hoop and dropped for a pump-fake layup to give the Warriors a 127-123 lead with 38 seconds left.
Celtics big man Al Horford followed with a 3-pointer to create drama. But Curry still had an outstanding performance. He caught Chris Paul's cross-court pass as Celtics guard Derrick White charged straight at him. With the shot clock under three seconds, the defense closing in and the tension pulsing, Curry turned to his quick release. Catching and shooting was done in no time.
And he raised the right 3-pointer so high that White's desperate attempt to finish failed. High enough to raise brows and chin. High enough to slow down time. Curry practices those moonshots. Not just for scenarios like this. But because the splash hits differently. And with the Celtics reeling and the Warriors on the verge of a decisive victory, Curry wanted the emphatic splash.
Let it Rain.
“He caught it so quickly and released it in the air,” Warriors guard Cory Joseph said. “It was like one of those shots in a movie where you follow the ball. He shot that thing so high.”
It's been a busy week for Curry. The emotional toll of his basketball brother, his comrade in championship glory, becomes a sideshow. The unmistakable reality of their dynasty's ultimate excellence in a new era. The lost leads and the buried position in the overall standings. Doubt finds its way into their midst. He even changed his pregame routine to get a break from the noise.
The Warriors beat Brooklyn and Portland last weekend, creating positivity. Having the 2022 NBA Finals victims come to town with the NBA's best record was an opportunity to build on that. Curry was well aware of how much his team could use the courage of an upset victory. How they manage to remember their potential and how capable they can be at their best. As long as there's curry.
If he's great, the Warriors don't have to be done for. They just have to be different. The young players are no longer just accessories. Golden State's best will no longer be used exclusively in its championship core. But also in the explosive athleticism of Jonathan Kuminga. In the hustle and bustle of Podziemski. In the size and presence of Trayce Jackson-Davis. In the everlasting readiness of Moses Moody.
Chase Center was filled with a new energy Tuesday because of these young people. Especially Jackson-Davis, the rookie center who was so effective that coach Steve Kerr was able to rely solely on the center for most of the second half. Twice he came from the weak side to protect the rim, including a massive block on a Brown dunk in overtime.
“Trayce had two blocks,” Curry said, “you can feel the crowd getting into it.” That just gets everyone excited. And that JK steals in the first minute of extra time. I harness the energy of the crowd and these two boys ensured that with some spectacular individual games.”
It all starts with Curry and his elite. One game after missing all eight of his 3-point shots against Portland, he made 6 of 11 against the Celtics. On Tuesday he clearly wanted to make a statement.
Midway through the fourth quarter, a barrage of three-pointers from the Splash Brothers sent Chase Center into a frenzy. And Curry morphed into the player who left Boston in shambles two summers ago.
The Celtics' lead of 17 points was reduced to 4 points after a three-pointer by Klay Thompson at 3:53. And 50 seconds later, the Warriors' deficit was 116-115 after Curry drilled a 30-footer with Horford in drop coverage. The next time, Thompson tied the game with another 3-pointer. Then, after White answered with a 3-pointer, Curry waved off the screen to face Horford and drilled a stepback 3-pointer to tie the game at 121 again.
Let it Rain.
“The guy is magical. You can't explain it,” Kerr said of Curry, later adding, “Steph brings joy to the world. He is unbelievable.”
But before the joy came, there was the slow-motion eternity in which the ball sailed through the air. There is something hypnotic about the shots with the highest bulges. They impress with their level of difficulty and their cinematic thrill. Curry's dagger shot about 13 feet across the field — higher than the backboard, higher than the shot clock — and raised the possibility of a Warriors revival.
Curry knew it was going in when it left his hands. And he knew that this splash would add emphasis and heighten the tension of this liminal space between another disappointing end and the blossoming of better days.
As it rippled, the beauty of the shot and the purity of the moment left an entire arena and a nationwide audience gasping. And his teammates.
“Being on the field and watching against the No. 1 team in the league,” Jackson-Davis said. “And the way he shot it into the sky. I was right under the edge. I looked at it like, 'Oh, wait a minute.' This could go in.' Ridiculous.”
When it splattered, the Celtics were defeated, prepared by an all-too-familiar chef.
“Obviously it sucks to be on the receiving end of a situation like that,” said Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, who was drafted 10 spots behind Curry in the 2009 draft and is one of Curry's toughest defenders. “But sometimes it’s just amazing to see how he does it.”
By the time it became a buzz, the league had a memorandum about Curry's MVP worthiness.
“From all the years of guarding him to now seeing him up close,” Joseph said. “It's really adorable. I can't take what he does for granted. When he gets into those zones, sometimes you just stare in awe.”
When it burst, the Warriors had their biggest win of the season, the quality triumph confirming their belief in a ceiling higher than their record.
Let it Rain.
GO DEEPER
The Warriors snatch victory from the Celtics in overtime as their youth resurfaces
(Photo of Curry leaving the court after Tuesday's win: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)