Stephen Curry scored 50 in game seven against Sacramento. José Luis Villegas (AP)
Stephen Curry versus LeBron James. Two of the NBA’s best players face off again today in the Western Semifinals. The Warriors will host the first game in San Francisco in a series that has something of the déjà vu slant on it, as Curry’s team and James’ team met in four straight playoffs between 2015 and 2018 (three of which were for the Californians and the other went to Cleveland). ). The game will continue to be marked by the recital given by the golden state point guard on Sunday to eliminate the Sacramento Kings (120-100) in the final matchup. Curry scored 50 points and broke the goal record for a seventh game. His performance gave oxygen to continue the title defense they achieved against the Celtics last year. The next stumbling block is the legendary Lakers.
“It gave me goosebumps. Number 30 is just different,” Andrew Wiggins, the power forward, said of Curry’s performance on Sunday. With half a hundred points, the point guard edged out Kevin Durant as the person to score the most points in a crucial game for a series. Durant, a former Warrios teammate, did so in the Nets jersey in the 2021 East Semifinals against the Bucks. Before them did Sam Jones in 1963 (47) and Dominique Wilkins, the Hawks legend, in 1988 (47) for the Celtics.
Curry averaged 33 points in the series against the Kings, who made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. In his most unremarkable game, the star scored 28 points. His historic performance on Sunday, which included 7-18-3-pointers, took shape after a night of frustration. The Warriors let loose at home to eliminate Sacramento in Game 6 on Friday, which they lost 118-99. Upset by his team’s poor performance, Curry couldn’t sleep. Minutes before 4am he was exchanging text messages with Draymond Green, another pillar of the team that has dominated the conference since 2015. Green, too, was sleepless at the prospect of elimination.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr prepared a technical session Saturday on the ninth floor of the Chase Center where some videos of the Sacramento attack were to be projected. The most important moment that afternoon wasn’t the pictures. Curry got up and spoke to his teammates. “You know I don’t talk much, but I have something to say,” Number 30 began. According to The Athletic, everyone fell silent when they heard it.
Curry encouraged his teammates by telling them they had enough to win that he trusted them. He assured them of victory if they all agreed to leave their feelings at home. He wanted trust and commitment from them, witnesses at that private session said. “He has the same advantage as other sizes. The mamba mentality and all that shit. Stephen has it. Maybe his ways are different, but we know he’s a killer. Everyone knows that,” said Jordan Poole.
When the seventh game started, there was no sign of the leader, who couldn’t sleep from nervousness. Rare for him, Curry missed two free throws in the second quarter. He played the whole game with a smile on his face. When the referees called the end, it was another night for history. “Attitude can manifest many things,” Number 30 announced to the press. “The smile was intentional. I’m just trying to live in the present,” he added.
Curry will have to lead a series against LeBron James. The two figures have played 22 playoff games. The one from Golden State has won 15. History starts from scratch for two legends as they search for their fifth championship ring.
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