Revisiting the last 5 NBA matchups between LeBron James and Stephen Curry
LeBron James and Stephen Curry will renew their rivalry in the 2021-22 NBA season, as the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors are strong favorites to come out of the West.
James and Curry battled in four straight NBA Finals, doing so between 2014 and 2018. Since then, they have faced off only once after the regular season - the 2021 NBA play-in tournament. So it will be interesting to see if the two meet in the playoffs next year, and set up their first seven-game series clash in four years.
The recent matchups between LeBron James and Stephen Curry haven't disappointed. Their competitiveness makes any game they play a must-watch for fans. So even if their last few games weren't in the playoffs, it was still a treat to view the former MVP winners lock horns with each other.
On that note, let's take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the last five games LeBron James and Stephen Curry played against each other in the NBA.
#5 Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers - 2021 NBA Play-in tournament
The LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors were plagued by injuries throughout the 2020-21 NBA campaign. As a result, they ended up as the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively, in the Western Conference. That set up an enticing clash between LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
It was their first clash after the regular season since the 2018 NBA Finals. The game wasn't disappointing at all.
It lived up to its billing, going right down to the wire. LeBron James sealed a comeback 103-100 win for the LA Lakers with a 33 footer go-ahead three-pointer at home to advance to the playoffs.
Stephen Curry outscored LeBron James, though, scoring 37 points on the night on 52.2% field goal shooting. Nevertheless, James had a triple-double to his name, and tallied 22 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists.
#4 LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors - 2020-21 NBA regular season
The LA Lakers recorded a 128-97 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors on the road during a 2020-21 NBA regular-season matchup on March 15th 2021. LeBron James outperformed Stephen Curry in that game, registering a 20-point triple-double. He had 22 points, ten rebounds and 11 assists on 66.7% shooting.
Curry, meanwhile, had 27 points, three rebounds and two assists. He shot on 50-50-100 splits, putting in a disciplined performance on the night. However, his efforts weren't enough, as the Lakers performed better as a team.
#3 Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers - 2020-21 NBA regular season
In this meeting on February 28th, 2001, the Lakers dominated the Warriors 117-91. LeBron James and Stephen Curry did not have the impact they usually do, though. Both recorded fewer than 20 points on the night. James scored 19, while Curry had 16 points to his name.
LeBron James would go on to beat Stephen Curry two more times during the 2020-21 campaign. He had a 3-1 record against his counterpart through the four games they played, including the play-in tournament.
#2 Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers - 2020-21 NBA regular-season
Stephen Curry's last win against LeBron James in an NBA game came on January 18th, 2021. He led the charge for the Warriors with a 26-point, seven-assist performance. James had an off-night, recording only 19 points on 37.5% field goal shooting.
The Golden State Warriors narrowly won the game 115-113. Stephen Curry will hope for a repeat of this result when he faces LeBron James on October 19th on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season at the Staples Center.
#1 LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors - 2018-19 NBA regular-season
LeBron James has had a winning record against Stephen Curry since he joined the LA Lakers in 2018. He kicked things off with a win when the two met on Christmas Day during the 2018-19 regular season. The LA Lakers won that game against the then-defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, 127-101.
LeBron James had a short but efficient night, tallying 17 points and 13 rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting in just 21 minutes. Stephen Curry, meanwhile, could produce just 15 points on 29.4% field goal shooting.