Stephen Curry’s 12-Threes Showcase Was Electric-But the Warriors Let Another One Slip Away
PORTLAND - Stephen Curry lit up the Moda Center with a vintage performance Sunday night, draining 12 three-pointers and pouring in 48 points. It was the kind of show only Curry can put on-deep pull-ups, off-the-dribble daggers, and that signature turn-and-run before the ball even hits the net. But for all the fireworks, the Warriors couldn’t finish the job, falling 136-131 to the Trail Blazers in a game that stung more than most.
This was the fifth time in Curry’s career he’s hit at least 12 threes in a game. Let that sink in.
No one else in NBA history has done it more than three times-and that’s his old Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. Curry now owns 16 games with at least 11 made threes.
Thompson and Damian Lillard are next with just four. And when it comes to double-digit three-point nights?
Curry’s done it 28 times. Thompson?
Nine.
So yeah, Curry’s in a league of his own when it comes to long-range explosions.
And yet, as dazzling as he was, the 37-year-old superstar walked off the floor frustrated. Not because of the missed shots-there weren’t many of those-but because once again, his brilliance wasn’t enough to carry Golden State across the finish line.
“It’s nothing you ever think about going into a game,” Curry said postgame. “It’s just a rhythm thing.
Getting a nice flow, getting some looks-which is weird because I only made two in the first quarter. Then you slowly start to see the right pictures and keep shooting.
It is fun. There’s definitely a flurry in the middle of the game where you start to feel the rhythm and energy of the crowd, whether it’s home or road.
I don’t know how to explain it other than that. It’s fun.”
Curry was locked in from the second quarter on, finishing 16-of-26 from the field and a scorching 12-of-19 from deep. He dropped 21 points in the fourth quarter alone-his 44th career quarter with at least 20 points-and 33 in the second half. His 12 threes are the most by any player in a game this season.
But the Warriors couldn’t hold up their end.
Draymond Green, who’s seen plenty of Curry’s magic over the years, summed it up: “Fun to play with him. Fun to watch someone so special do that.
I think that’s maybe the fourth or fifth time now this year where he’s had games like that and we let it get away. So it can’t be all for nothing, and it ain’t his fault.
So we got to figure it out.”
Golden State hit 24 threes on the night. Normally, that’s a recipe for a win.
But Portland kept pace, knocking down 20 of their own and making just enough plays late to steal it. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t sugarcoat it.
“They’re all tough,” Kerr said. “But when you make 24 3s, Steph makes 12 of them, you should win the game.
Obviously, couldn’t stop them. They made 20 3s themselves.
It was a great game. It was a wild game.
And we’re just not closing games. I think we’re 5-9 now in clutch games.
We’re not closing close games down the stretch. And we got to find a way to do that.”
Late-game execution-or the lack of it-was once again the story. With under 30 seconds left and the Warriors trailing by one, Curry had a chance to give his team the lead with a driving layup.
It rimmed out. He stared into the distance, stunned.
On the next possession, trapped near the sideline, he turned the ball over trying to find Green. That was the final blow.
“We played well enough to win, we just didn’t get enough stops,” Curry said. “It was one of those tough nights that you want to have back.
We scored enough to win. Didn’t get enough stops.”
This wasn’t an isolated incident. On Friday, Curry returned from a quad injury and dropped 39 points in a loss to a Timberwolves team missing Anthony Edwards.
Two monster performances. Two losses.
And for a Warriors team that’s been searching for rhythm all season, these missed opportunities loom large.
Kerr was asked if the late-game issues are about execution or mindset.
“They go hand in hand,” he said. “If you execute well, you’re disciplined, that’s the mindset that you need to have, and you gain confidence from that. And we haven’t built that late game, slash, execution confidence to this point.”
There was at least one milestone worth noting. With Sunday’s 48-point outing, Curry passed Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games after turning 30.
Curry now has 45 such games. Jordan had 44.
“Just cool recognition and longevity,” Curry said. “Obviously, I’d like to celebrate it with a win, but again, any time you’re doing anything with certain names in this league, historically, that definitely means something.”
It does. But for Curry and the Warriors, moral victories aren’t cutting it anymore. They’ve got to start turning these performances into wins-or they risk wasting what’s left of one of the greatest careers the game has ever seen.