Getty Golden State Warrior Steph Curry led his team to the No. 8 seed and the NBA play-in tournament.
The Golden State Warriors had much to celebrate Sunday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in what was essentially a playoff game to cement their position as the No. 8 seed heading into the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Steph Curry led the way with 46 points on a career-high 36 shot attempts, eclipsing 2,000 points for the season and locking up the league’s regular season scoring title. After burying a dagger 3-point shot late in the fourth quarter, Curry could no longer contain his emotion.
The ensuing video showed the point guard paying homage to a former offensive star for the Warriors.
Iconic moments.
Curry lifted up his shirt and hollered at the top of his lungs to the some 4,000 fans watching the season’s final game live at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The celebration was a call back to guard Baron Davis, who played three and a half seasons with the Warriors between 2004-08. Davis threw down a thunderous dunk over Andrei Kirilenko in a 2007 playoff game against the Utah Jazz.
Canon Curry Takes After His Dad in Hilarious Celebration Video
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Not to be left out, Curry’s young son Canon got in on the action via his father’s official Instagram account following the Warriors’ victory over the Grizzlies Sunday.
Canon Curry did the @BaronDavis celebration! 🙌😂
[via @StephenCurry30 / IG]
Clearly already familiar with a basketball in his hands, the young Curry showed he has some of his dad’s gift for the shimmy — both while getting buckets and after said buckets have been gotten.
The long playback of Curry the elder’s post-basket antics display the similarities.
Steph did the Baron jersey move 👏
The entire Curry family clearly knows how to appropriately honor a Warriors victory, as did Davis before them, which Curry acknowledged in his postgame interview.
Warriors, Curry Have Much to Celebrate
GettyWarriors point guard Stephen Curry before a May game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry’s 46 points on Sunday were enough to help Golden State to a 113-101 win over the Grizzlies, which cemented the Warriors’ position in the top-half of the play-in tournament bracket.
Their reward is a matchup with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers fell to the play-in tournament due to injuries that sidelined LeBron James and Anthony Davis each for several games this season.
While getting the Lakers in a win-and-your-in postseason game is a spot of bad luck for the Warriors, securing the 8th seed was important for Golden State beyond their potential first-game opponent.
If the Warriors defeat LA, they will automatically qualify for the first round of the playoffs in the No. 7 spot. If they lose, they will get another chance in a one-and-done game against the winner of the matchup between the No. 9 Grizzlies vs. the No. 10 San Antonio Spurs.
With two tries and Curry on a historic tear, it is hard to fashion the Warriors losing two consecutive games to miss out on a first-round playoff series.
Curry also accomplished several historic personal feats on Sunday, the final day of the NBA regular season. He locked up the league’s scoring title, the only player other than Michael Jordan to do so after turning 33 years old.
The point guard also surpassed the 2,000-point mark (2,015) and upped his made three-point total to 337, the fourth-highest tally in history despite the coronavirus-shortened season. Sunday’s contest against the Grizzlies was the 11th time Curry scored at least 40 points in a game this season.
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Like Father, Like Son: Canon Curry Imitates Steph’s Sunday Night Celebration [WATCH]