Broken Ankles Mixtape: 5 Times Stephen Curry absolutely owned his matchup in an NBA game
Over the last decade, few opponents have had the better of Stephen Curry. In fact, most opposition point guards are unable to stem his constant barrage of threes or his incessant movement around the court. Not only has his serial scoring propelled him into NBA folklore, but every aspect of his game makes him one of the best players in the league's history.
In his 12-year career, Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to three championships, has been voted MVP of the league twice, once unanimously, and made seven All-NBA teams. He has averaged over 20 points a game for eight full seasons and made 43.3% of his three-point shots of which he takes over eight per game.
In this article, we will run down five times in which Stephen Curry has destroyed his matchup in an NBA game. Some involve the 33-year-old getting the better of an entire team while others involve a single incident or series of moments against his opposite number.
5 Instances Stephen Curry has owned his opponent in an NBA contest
#1 Stephen Curry vs Raymond Felton (February 27th, 2013)
This was arguably the game that Stephen Curry announced himself to the NBA. On the famous Madison Square Garden court, a 24-year-old Curry put on an unprecedented shooting display, dismantling the Knicks' defense. Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni couldn't get close to the squirming playmaker who drained 11 three-pointers on just 13 attempts.
Curry would go on to finish the game with 54 points, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50+ points and make 10+ threes, something he has since repeated a number of times.
Although the Warriors would go on to lose the contest by four points, all of the headlines at the time centered around Stephen Curry's excellence. Eight years later, it is still his third-highest scoring game.
#2 Stephen Curry vs Marcin Gortat (April 2nd, 2017)
Stephen Curry is used to having centers on ice. Andre Drummond and Rudy Gobert have both been bamboozled by the point guard's handles and trickery. However, in 2017, Curry had Marcin Gortat so confused by his dribbling and shot-fake that he was left completely open to drain a corner three.
The game was only three and a half minutes old when Curry received the ball under the basket. Prevented by the Polish center's imposing stature, the diminutive guard passed his way to the left-hand corner.
Once there, he faked a three which Gortat immediately bought, leaving his feet, then pretended to pass the ball to a teammate, forcing the Wizards center to turn his back on Curry so that he could release a wide-open trey.
Curry would end up with 42 points in the Warriors win, while Gortat would play just 16 minutes and grab seven points. However, the primary takeaway from an otherwise comfortable regular season victory was the two-time NBA MVP's unbelievable magic with the ball in his hands.