Yet, there isn’t a sporting event that comes close to matching Stephen Curry on a heater. The 35-year-old superstar of the Warriors scored 50 points against the Clippers on Wednesday, proving that he is still as explosive as ever.
Nonetheless, the Warriors suffered a humiliating 7-27 road record in Los Angeles after losing 134-126. The Warriors have now dropped nine consecutive games away from home, where they are 0-21 when down at the half.
It’s hard to accept such statistics even when written out. Despite having a game in hand on the 7-9 seeds, the Warriors are still holding on to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. There isn’t much room for error, but if Golden State’s 6-seed holds, it could be for the best that they lost to the Clippers today.
Now, the Warriors’ first-round opponent would be the No. 3 Grizzlies rather than the Suns. Despite this, Golden State still has 12 games remaining, which seems like a whole season given how tight the Western Conference standings are as of Thursday’s start of play.
Strategic sowing cannot be something the Warriors are thinking about. To remain above the play-in line or, to be honest, to even make the playoffs, they must win every game they can. It now seems like they will have to play without Draymond Green against the Hawks on Friday, the second stop on what might be a season-altering five-game road trip, even if they are just two losses away from a lottery place.
On Wednesday, Green received his 16th technical foul of the year. It constitutes a one-game penalty unless the league overturns it.
To give the Warriors a chance to win their first away game since January, Curry could need to go on another hot streak on Friday. Don’t discount it. Since 2013, this man has been on fire, and on Wednesday, his shots were once again of the “you can’t be serious” sort.
With 21 points in the third quarter, Curry has a career-high 44 20-point quarters, going absolutely nuclear. So relax and watch as this 35-year-old freak show transforms yet another NBA stadium into an absurdist theatre.
Curry has already amassed more than 10,000 points in his career only from 3-pointers. He has scored 50 points twice this season and 12 times overall, which ranks 10th all-time. Seven of those 50-pieces have been produced after the age of 30, tying Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan for the most of all time.
And the most bizarre part? Curry only scored two points from the free-throw line. This is James Harden’s opposite. These are genuine buckets that will raise folks to their feet. Curry came in at 20 out of 28, including 8 out of 14 from three. With a basketball in his hands, he is capable of the most absurd things.
Curry can’t control a game defensively or on the glass, which is why the Clippers destroyed the Warriors on the offensive glass on Wednesday. Down the stretch, Steve Kerr used Jonathan Kuminga and Green as his “bigs,” but they were unable to complete plays with a board. The Clippers’ relentless barrage of second chances proved to be too much for an already overworked Golden State defence.
No The Warriors are dealing with the likes of Curry, Jordan Poole, and Donte DiVincenzo protecting Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while also attempting to block out Ivica Zubac, which makes Andrew Wiggins a huge concern for them. Several offensive boards won by Russell Westbrook against the Warriors resulted in baskets.
Kerr could have to think about closing with Kevon Looney if Wiggins doesn’t return for the playoffs. Golden State must first reach the playoffs, however. Given how close the race is, it wouldn’t be surprising if they finished anywhere from No. 4 to the lottery. Curry may not let them completely fail, but as we witnessed on Wednesday, there is only so much a single guy can accomplish.
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