Getty/Harry How Kevin Durant (right), when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors.
In arguably the best series of the opening round, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings did battle in Game 7 to decide who would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. On the road, Warriors star Stephen Curry showed up when his team needed him the most, scoring 50 points in a blowout victory as Golden State cruised 120-100 and will move on to the second round.
50 points is the most scored in a Game 7 in NBA history. Following Curry’s historic performance, Phoenix Suns’ star Kevin Durant, who previously held the record for most points in a Game 7 with 48 against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, had high praise for his former teammate.
“Legendary 30. 50 pieces,” Durant tweeted on April 30.
Legendary 30. 50 pieces
Curry started making his impact on Game 7 before he and his team even left the arena after Game 6. After being blown out at home with an opportunity to clinch the series, Curry gave a speech to his teammates, imploring them to give their all in a win-or-go-home situation facing them in Sacramento. Warriors star Draymond Green detailed Curry’s speech to Marcus Thompson and Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“You’re in this space where you gon’ fold or you gon’ rise up,” Green said. “Once he did that, you have no choice but to rise up. He f******* got everybody locked in. ‘If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team. No matter if you play zero minutes or 40 minutes. You’re making a commitment to do whatever it takes. Prepare your mind and body for this opportunity we have. We got embarrassed the other night, and we never f–king going out like that.'”
Kevin Durant Praised Steph Curry’s Finals Effort
After a two-year hiatus from the postseason, the Warriors secured another title last June, with Curry winning the first Finals MVP award of his career.
Though his entire performance in the 2022 NBA Finals was remarkable, Curry’s outing in Game 4 swung the series. Trying to avoid going down 3-1 to the Boston Celtics, the Warriors’ star netted a 43-point, 10-rebound masterpiece at TD Garden to tie the series at 2-2. Durant had high praise for Curry’s Game 1 performance as well.
“It was one of the greatest performances of all time,” Durant said on the June 24 episode of his podcast, “The ETCs.”
“The Game 4 was iconic to me. It’s much more than just the win. That game right there was like, ‘All right, this is one of the greatest we’ve ever seen. In that environment, the shots he was making … the rebounds, though. It was the rebounds for me; playing with Steph, that’s how I know he’s super, super engaged when he’s on the boards heavy. Coming over somebody’s back grabbing an [offensive rebound], it’s just like, yo, he really wants this.”
Kevin Durant, Warriors Discussed Potential Reunion
Durant and the Warriors won two titles together after he infamously left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the franchise in 2016. Since then, Durant has not enjoyed much postseason success.
Amid his trade request from the Brooklyn Nets last offseason, NBA insider Marcus Thompson of “The Athletic” said the Warriors superstars (Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson) had been in contact with Durant about a potential reunion this season.
“The Warriors superstars have been in conversations with Durant. In addition to catching up, the Hall of Fame-bound peers did entertain the idea of a reunion,” Thompson wrote.
“It was mostly about the stunning nature of it even being possible. The idea of them playing together again had to seem impossible when Durant left in free agency in 2019. It isn’t lost on them how life has contrived an opportunity for them to come full circle. They see it, like everyone else, and talked about it, like everyone else.”