Someday, Stephen Curry will stop doing Stephen Curry things. But that day was not Thursday.
The Golden State Warriors star posted his latest incinerating performance against the Orlando Magic, finishing with 56 points and 12 3-pointers. Both numbers are season highs for the former MVP, and he finished two 3-pointers short of former teammate Klay Thompson’s single-game record of 14.
That included a buzzer-beater from behind the logo to end the first half.
In total, Curry shot 16-of-25 from the field and 12-of-19 from deep, plus four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 121-115 win for the Warriors. He was one 3-pointer shy of tying his career high.
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Curry didn’t really get going until the Magic built a 17-point lead midway through the second quarter. To that point, Curry had five points.
By the end of the quarter, Curry had 21, then led a 30-9 run out of halftime to build a lead the Warriors didn’t relinquish.
In ripping apart the Magic, Curry made a moderate amount of history. It was his 45th career game with at least nine 3-pointers, which is as many as the next five players combined. And it was his ninth 50-point game since turning 30, the most in NBA history (next closest: Wilt Chamberlain with seven).
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It was a big enough game that Curry wanted to keep the game ball, which he gave to his mother, who was in attendance.
Beyond Curry, Thursday’s win was the Warriors’ fifth straight and their seventh in eight games with Jimmy Butler in the lineup. Trading for the disgruntled Miami Heat star was supposed to give them a two-way standout who could both facilitate alongside Curry and provide his own scoring, and that’s what’s happened so far.
Butler scored only five on 1-of-7 shooting, but he chipped in seven assists while helping out plenty on defense. When Curry is shooting like he did, that’s all the Warriors need to be an absolute nightmare to stop, as Butler said after the game:
“It makes everyone want to be great on the defensive side, so we can get him the ball back and watch him do something incredible.”
“In a weird way, isn’t it kind of expected by now?”
The Warriors have a solid chance to up that winning streak as well, as they play the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets before what should be a solid test against the New York Knicks on March 4.