Stephen Curry Makes History as Warriors Complete Two-Game Sweep of the Spurs
Following a clutch victory in San Antonio on Wednesday night, the Warriors returned to Frost Bank Center looking for a clean sweep. This game meant more than their previous contest, as the two teams faced off for the NBA Cup Group Stage. To no one’s surprise, it was close yet again between these two and followed a similar script to their earlier matchup. Here’s how another historic night unfolded in Texas.
Unlike Wednesday, the Warriors played a competitive first quarter. In an early defensive battle, Golden State did well to contain the two more recent Spurs history-makers. They once again kept the phenomenal Victor Wembanyama in check, while also limiting Stephon Castle to just two points through the first 12 minutes. Their defense helped generate 13 first-half turnovers, but the first half wasn’t as straightforward as it could’ve been. While being the better side, the Warriors didn’t have anything to show for their efforts, missing a ton of good looks. They started just two of 10 from deep, and also struggled to finish around a rim patrolled at all times by Wembanyama.
San Antonio let the offense run through De’Aaron Fox, who hurt Golden State through both his scoring and his exceptional play-making. He finished with a team-high 26 points and wrapped up his double-double with 10 assists. The two teams continued to battle, trading blows while not letting each other build a lead. In a low-scoring half where defense dominated, coach Steve Kerr’s squad took a 47-45 lead into halftime.
As he did in their last game, Stephen Curry came alive during the third. As the Spurs offense began to click, He single-handedly kept his team within arms reach, scoring as many as 14 consecutive points for his team. Julian Champagnie stepped up for the black and white, drilling four second-half threes off the bench. He and Brandin Podziemski were the only non-starters to score double digits, showing just how star-reliant this contest was throughout the game.
Going into the fourth, the game hung in the balance. San Antonio did the reverse of what happened to them on Wednesday and got out to a double-digit lead. Though the Warriors tried to, at times, get close, the Spurs seemed like they had answers ready. Except for stopping one man, the two-time league MVP again showed up when his team needed him most.
Curry was simply unstoppable, having his way with anything the home team threw at him defensively. He once again displayed his incredible stamina and off-ball mastery, but found no issues creating his own shots as well. Finishing with 49 points, Curry has now tied the legendary Michael Jordan for the most 40+ games after the age of 30, reminding us that the greatest shooter ever is still timeless. Most importantly, despite being 37 years old, Curry looked like a kid on the court again. Following difficult shots, his constant celebratory gestures towards the bench made even the broadcast team point out how loose he acted. Curry is at his best when he’s having fun, and he showed that to the NBA world again tonight. “I love this game, I love my teammates,” he said in his post-game interview. “I thank God every day for these opportunities to keep playing.”
With under five minutes left, an unlikely hero stepped up in Gary Payton II, who knocked down two important threes as part of an 8-0 Warriors run. He gave the Warriors their first fourth-quarter lead, but the game was far from over. With less than a minute left, Curry drew a shooting foul down 108-107 and converted both free throws to put his team ahead. Following a Spurs timeout, Fox had the chance to win the game with six seconds left. Despite having a running start, Payton’s tough defense slowed Fox down and forced San Antonio’s star to a tough stepback mid-range that bounced twice on the rim and out. Though they had to again rely on a superhero performance by their leader, Golden State walked out with a gritty 109-108 victory and their chins held high. They’ll continue their road trip to New Orleans after what has to have been a morale-boosting 48 hours.
