It’s amazing how different games can turn out, as the last time Steph Curry played in Memphis back in December, he was held scoreless from the field and Golden State was defeated by 51 points. Last night, he connected shots from beyond the arc and tallied a historic 52-point performance.
As the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 134-125, the point guard guaranteed he wasn’t thinking the game was a rematch. “I had actually forgotten,” the future Hall of Famer said when asked if his squad’s previous contest was motivation. “I was just kind of more focused on how big this game was for us.”
Now that his team moved up into fifth place in the Western Conference, they have a two-game lead over Memphis in the standings. Curry was on fire since the start of the game, dropping in his first five shots, including four threes, and going 11-of-16 by halftime and 8-of-10 from distance.
This meant Steph’s 27th display with at least 10 made shots from beyond the arc, which is by far the most in NBA history, as only his ex-teammate Klay Thompson stands close by with nine. “I feel in a good rhythm,” he shared postgame. “The week off helped. The tank is pretty full.”
The 37-year-old ended the match with a total of 52 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, marking the first time that a Golden State player posts a stat line like this since Rick Barry did against Portland back in 1974 (64 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists).
Curry also passed Jerry West and moved up on the NBA all-time scoring list into the 25th spot. “I got a little emotional about that,” he said of passing the legend on the list. “It was special. In his memory. What he meant to our organization, the league, to the world of basketball. That’s the logo.”
As for his coach, Steve Kerr was left in awe. “Fifty-two points with people draped all over him, all game long,” said the Warriors tactician. “I’ve been watching this for 11 years, and actually longer before I became his coach. You get a real sense of just the magnitude of his talent. The guy is amazing to watch.”
