
Steph Curry is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Golden State Warriors’ star guard might already be 37 years old, but his numbers this season hardly reflect this. Curry is averaging 29.1 points per game through his first 11 appearances this year, including back-to-back 40-point games in their last two wins.
After being limited to just 11 points in their 24-point defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs in two consecutive meetings at San Antonio. In those two games, Curry responded with 46 and 49 points, respectively, to lead Golden State to a pair of impressive wins. With these performances, he joined Michael Jordan as the only two players aged 37 or older to record back-to-back 45-point games.
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player remains the focal point of the Warriors’ offense and this was most evident in the second of these two victories. Golden State won by a point, 109-108, after Curry hit two free throws with 6.4 seconds left in the game to cap off their rally back from a 10-point deficit.
Curry scored almost half of the Warriors’ points on the evening with 49 as he put pressure on the Spurs throughout the match. He shot 16-of-26 from the field, hit nine three-pointers, and also had four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The signature moment of this game was Curry’s run late in the third quarter where he scored 13 consecutive points in an exciting back-and-forth with San Antonio. The 11-time NBA All-Star kicked this off with a scoop lay-up over Luke Kornet and followed it up with a tough floater that turned into a three-point play. Curry then did what he does best, hitting three consecutive three-pointers wherein each one seemed more difficult than the last.
While the Spurs and their rising star Victor Wembanyama are looking like the future of the NBA, Curry’s two performances on their home floor were a stern reminder to the rest of the league that his career is far from over.
For as long as Curry is healthy, Golden State is, at the very least, a dark horse contender in the West. His presence gives them a chance every night and this group that they have assembled around him features several strong complementary pieces who allow him to focus on what he does best–shoot the ball.
Curry is far from done and these last two games were a warning for the rest of the league. The Warriors’ title window is still open and it will stay that way for as long as he is there to hold it open.
