Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine Stephen Curry wasn’t always seen as an all-time great. In his first three years in the league, Curry averaged a respectable 17.5 points per game and at times played behind veteran guard Acie Law during the 2010-11 campaign.
After Curry scored 54 points against the Knicks on Feb. 27, 2013, ESPN’s Doris Burke noted a shift in her coverage during the broadcast.
At 6-3 and 185 pounds, many questioned if he could be effective in the league. “Thankfully,” Burke said, “he has put those doubts to rest.”
On that night, Curry recorded 54 points on 18-of-28 shooting from the field – including 11-of-13 from 3-point range and an incredible 7-of-7 mark at the line. Additionally, he contributed a team-high seven assists and three steals to round out his performance.
Raymond Felton, Pablo Prigioni and Iman Shumpert took turns guarding him but none of them could match up to his arsenal of runners, transition triples and movement shooting.
In the end, the Warriors fell short of Stephen Curry’s record-setting performance.
The Warriors had an outstanding season, climbing from 13th place in the Western Conference standings the previous year up to sixth seed. But it wasn’t just any team: New York Knicks were a 54-win force that trailed only LeBron James-led Heat in the Eastern Conference standings with 56 wins.
The Warriors were led by Curry’s 54 points and not much else from their teammates. Carl Landry (15 points) and Jarrett Jack (14 points) were the only other Warriors to reach double digit points. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Andris Biedrins started alongside Curry but combined for only 13 points.
With two minutes remaining, Curry had tied the game at 105-105. But his teammates turned it over twice, J.R. Smith scored and Carmelo Anthony hit what would prove to be the game-winner for New York with a final shot that sealed their victory 109-105.
Stephen Curry’s performance against the Knicks on November 13th was one of his best games all year. At that time, his 54 points led the league – an achievement not often reached since.
For comparison’s sake, players have scored 54 or more 10 times this season alone.
At Madison Square Garden, only three opponents have scored more points than Michael Jordan: 55 points; Kobe Bryant with 61; and James Harden with 61.
At the time, Curry’s 11 3-pointers set a Warriors franchise record. He went on to hit 13 in one game in 2016, but Thompson still holds the all-time record with 14.
Stephen Curry had become a minute machine
Table of Contents
Ten years ago, the term “load management” didn’t even exist in NBA jargon. Curry had just come off a season where there were serious doubts about his ankles but still managed to play in 78 games during 2012-13 – at which time he averaged an impressive 38.2 minutes per game for his career high.
Stephen Curry was vastly underappreciated in America
Fans in the Bay Area may have known they had a rising star, but others around the league weren’t so certain.
Just two weeks prior to their match with the Knicks, Curry was overlooked for the All-Star Game despite averaging 21.0 points, 6.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
At that point in their season however, they had completed 30-22 and deserved their own representative so coaches chose none other than Curry’s teammate David Lee.
Read Also:
