The Golden State Warriors needed Stephen Curry to look like Stephen Curry again, and he delivered when they needed it the most.

The 38-year-old Curry turned back the clock and carried the Warriors in their 126–121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the win-or-go-home 9-versus-10 play-in game. He finished with 35 points, seven three-pointers, four assists, one rebound, and a steal in 35 minutes, reminding everyone that even at this advanced stage of his career, he can still swing games in Golden State’s favor.

The Warriors needed every bit of Curry’s performance to pull off the win as they entered the night as the 10th seed in the West after an uneven 37–45 regular season–a rather poor finish by their standards given Curry’s extended absence. He missed 27 games with a knee injury and played in only 43 contests all year. 

Without him, Golden State struggled to find any real consistency and spent much of the season trying simply to stay alive in the playoff race. These struggles only made this performance all the more fitting.

Curry had returned only five games ago, and while there were signs that he was working his way back into rhythm, this was the first time since his return that he truly played at peak form. The Warriors banked on him to beat the Clippers and he gave them exactly what they were hoping for.

He was especially brilliant in the third quarter. With the Clippers threatening to run away with the game, Curry erupted for 16 points in a six-minute stretch that kept Golden State within striking distance. Without that burst, the Warriors may have been down by too much to rally back even before the fourth quarter even arrived.

Instead, they were still close enough to make a late push.

Golden State erased a 13-point deficit in the final period, and Curry, as he has for almost two decades now, delivered the game’s most memorable shot. His seventh three-pointer of the night broke a tie with 50.4 seconds remaining, giving the Warriors the edge for good. 

While the Warriors may no longer be the juggernaut they once were, the possibility of a performance like this from Curry makes them a threat against any opponent on any given night.

Golden State now advances to face the Phoenix Suns in the play-in finale for the right to meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Even if they get past Phoenix, the defending champion Thunder will be a daunting challenge. But as long as Curry can summon nights like this, the Warriors will always have a puncher’s chance—no matter what the odds suggest.