How could anyone have doubted Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ chances to advance past the first round of the NBA Playoffs? That may seem easy to say now, but prior to Sunday’s Game 7 tip-off against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center, Golden State’s fate was up in the air.
The Warriors were on the road in one of the most energetic atmospheres in the Association. But simply playing an away game, let alone facing elimination, was a big enough challenge for the defending champs, as the Dubs were just 11-30 on the road during the regular season, winning just one of their previous three playoff games at the Kings’ arena.
Leave it up to Chef Curry to cook up one of his finest performances of all time, and the best Game 7 the NBA has ever seen. Even former NBA coach and ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy suggested, under the circumstances, it was “the greatest Game 7 performance” in NBA history.
Curry needed just 38 minutes to fire up 38 shots. He sank 20 of those 38 attempts, going 7-of-18 from distance to score 50 points, the most for any NBA player in Game 7 history. His excellence helped the Warriors win in convincing fashion 120-100 to send the Kings home for good this season.
If Curry’s buckets weren’t enough, he also hauled in eight rebounds and dished out six assists, and swiped a steal for the cherry on top. Kevon Looney’s effort, 11 points, and 21 rebounds (including 10 offensively) were also a big help in the Warriors win.
A two-time NBA MVP, four-time Finals champion, and nine-time All-Star, Curry is already one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but we never get tired of seeing the 35-year-old continue to put forth historic performances year after year.
We’ll see what he and the Warriors have in store for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as the Western Conference Semifinals get underway on Tuesday night at the Chase Center. With two of the NBA’s GOATs taking center stage, basketball fans are in for a treat.