The Golden State Warriors needed Stephen Curry to be himself on Wednesday night. Down 13 in the fourth quarter, season on the line, he delivered exactly that. Thirty-five points. Seven three-pointers. A stepback triple with 50 seconds left that put the game away.
After the Warriors’ 126-121 play-in win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Darius Garland was asked to sum up what Curry did.
He kept it simple.
What Garland Said About Curry
GettyLA Clippers guard Darius Garland.
Garland did not need many words.
“30 did what 30 does, bro,” Garland said.
Six words that captured everything. Curry was quiet in the first half, managing just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting while the Clippers built their lead. Then the second half happened. He scored 16 points in a six-minute third-quarter stretch, connecting on three three-pointers to keep the Warriors within striking distance. When the Clippers pushed the lead back to 13 in the fourth, Curry kept coming.
He finished the game 10-of-14 from the field with 27 points in the second half alone, blowing past his minutes restriction to ensure the Warriors’ season would continue. The stepback three with 50.4 seconds left, over two desperately closing defenders, broke a 117-117 tie and sent Golden State ahead for good.
Garland’s quote was not just a compliment. It was a resignation. A recognition that no matter the lead, no matter the circumstances, Curry finds a way to make the moment his.
The Supporting Cast That Made It Possible
GettyAl Horford of the Golden State Warriors.
Curry was the story, but the Warriors needed more than one player to erase a 13-point deficit. Al Horford provided it. The 39-year-old hit four three-pointers in the fourth quarter, finishing with 14 points and single-handedly dragging Golden State back into the game before Curry delivered the knockout blow.
Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in his best performance as a Warrior. Draymond Green held Kawhi Leonard to two points in the fourth quarter and produced two crucial late steals to put the result beyond doubt.
On the Clippers side, Leonard finished with 21 points but could not impose himself when it mattered most. Garland matched that total with 21 points and eight assists, and Bennedict Mathurin led Los Angeles with 23. None of it was enough.
Final Word for the Warriors
Garland summed it up perfectly. Number 30 does what number 30 does. He has been doing it for over a decade, and Wednesday night was another reminder of why defenses still have no reliable answer for him.
The Warriors advance to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Win that game and a first-round series against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder awaits.
Curry is not done yet. The Clippers found that out the hard way.
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