Revisiting Stephen Curry's last 5 outings on NBA opening night
Stephen Curry is the greatest show in basketball and the NBA's top draw. TV ratings from the past six years will show that fans turned in numbers to watch the baby-faced assassin put on a shooting barrage. It is no surprise that the league schedules the Golden State Warriors to play on opening night.
A TV viewership survey asked "The NBA stars most likely to get fans to watch a game their favorite team is not playing in". The maximum votes went to Stephen Curry by a landslide.
The two-time MVP also received the maximum votes by a big margin when the survey polled "Player that fans are willing to spend $50+ extra to see play". Curry's marksman-like shooting is such that he oozes greatness every time he steps on the court.
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will take on the LA Lakers on opening night 2021
The Golden State Warriors headline the 2021-22 NBA season opening night with a marquee matchup against the LA Lakers. The two Western Conference rivals will play after a matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and holders, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Get ready for the @Lakers and @warriors opening-night matchup with the BEST plays from their clash in the 2020-21 play-in game 🙌
#KiaTipOff21: Tuesday at 10pm/et on TNT! https://t.co/xgw8B0FSEo
Whenever LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off, it's must-watch television, be it an NBA Finals series, play-in tournament clash or regular-season matchup
The LA Lakers will focus their entire defensive attention on Curry, as he is capable of going nuclear at any given moment. As we move closer to opening night tip-off, let's revisit the last five opening night games Stephen Curry has played in.
#1 December 22nd, 2020 vs Brooklyn Nets
The NBA decided to make former teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant clash on the opening night of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Golden State Warriors were without Klay Thompson, and were ushering a new era for the team, whereas the Nets had recently formed a title-contending team with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors lost the game in a blowout, and Curry wasn't happy with the meeting.
Nets put together a show on opening night to take a 125-99 W over the Warriors. Irving (26 pts) and Durant (22) spectacular in the first half, Brooklyn led for as many as 48.
Disastrous start for the Warriors, Curry aside
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Stephen Curry scored 20 points on 7-21 shooting from the field, but made just 2-10 three-pointers. He did have ten assists, four rebounds and two steals. Irving scored a game-high 26 points, while Durant chipped in with 22 for the Nets.
#2 October 16th, 2018 vs OKC Thunder
The opening night of the 2018-19 season commenced with the Golden State Warriors' ring ceremony. Stephen Curry received his third championship ring before proceeding to put on a show for the Bay Area fans. The Warriors had lost the last two years on opening night, but a showtime performance from the two-time MVP ended that streak.
(NBC News) #Warriors top #Thunder in season-opener after receiving championship rings : The Warriors won on opening night for the first time in three years, thanks to a vintage performance from Steph Curry. .. storiesflow.com/13520211809/wa… https://t.co/Xr6Hcd7vQZ
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson got the same number of shots in the game, but Curry was the standout player on the night. He scored a game-high 32 points on 11-20 shooting from the field, including 5-9 from beyond the arc.
Curry also registered eight rebounds, nine assists and a steal. Meanwhile, Durant scored 27, while Thompson had an off-night, scoring just 14. Paul George scored the most for the Thunder, tallying 27 points.