Silverman: Curry, Warriors Continue To Raise Their Profiles With Each Game
By Steve Silverman
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There have been few moments where it all came together for an athlete so perfectly as it did for Stephen Curry over a 24-hour period.
The Golden State Warriors superstar came back from a sprained MCL – which could have been much worse – Monday night in Golden State's playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers. After missing more than two weeks of action, Curry was seemingly off his game and his laser-like outside shot was nowhere to be found.
Curry was shooting and shooting and shooting, but he couldn't connect on his 3-pointers. Despite the misses, he was not even a bit hesitant. He knew what was coming.
The breakthrough came in the fourth quarter, when Curry and his teammates exchanged haymakers with surprising Portland. The Blazers were trying to tie the series in the fourth game, and they were giving as good as they were getting against the record-setting defending NBA champions.
The game went into overtime, and that's when Curry simply blew everyone away. He scored 17 points by himself in the five-minute overtime period and finished with 40 points in the game. It was an eye-opening performance, even for Curry. He set an NBA record for most points in an overtime period, and the Warriors won the game to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
"One of the best games I've ever been a part of, witnessed, watched, however you want to put it," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who was a teammate of Michael Jordan. "Just a magical night. Phenomenal competition from both teams. Incredible atmosphere. It's one of those nights where you feel lucky to be in the building."
Curry's partner in crime, Klay Thompson, was equally impressed. '
'You knew he'd catch his rhythm eventually," he said. "He's probably the best player in the world, the best shooter of all-time. He was getting good looks. We'll take those all day.''
When Curry woke on Tuesday, it was to the news that he was the NBA's first unanimous MVP. There have been disparaging remarks from Oscar Robertson and Tracy McGrady, but they are both misguided. Curry is the truth in the NBA, and he is to this generation what Bird, Magic and Michael were to previous eras and what LeBron James has been up until the last year or two.
This is just a partial knock on James, who has been a Superman and an unstoppable physical force throughout his career. But when it comes to winning time, Curry has that innate ability that allows him to operate on a different level. James is very close, but Curry has passed him by the slimmest of margins.
If the Warriors go on to their second consecutive title, the explosive Curry will join a very exclusive club that includes James and Jordan. He will have won back-to-back MVPs and back-to-back championships.
Oh, yes, the other member of that club was the greatest winner in the history of professional sports: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics, who did it three straight times.
"We're definitely on the right path to being one of those historic teams that people are going to remember for a very long time," Curry said.
The debate started early in the season about the Warriors and where they rate historically. The 73-9 regular-season record allows them to be in the discussion with the Jordan Bulls, the Magic Lakers, the Bird Celtics and the Russell Celtics.
Of course, it doesn't get validated until they win a second consecutive championship, and James and his Cleveland Cavaliers are on a collision course with the Warriors.
If Curry and the Warriors continue to get it done, they will belong with the all-time greats, and their leader will deserve all the plaudits that come his way.
Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy
