Stephen Curry delivered 46 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 125-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs, a night that featured one of the NBA’s most unique visual contrasts. The Warriors needed every ounce of Curry’s scoring and control, especially with Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle producing triple-doubles in front of the Spurs’ home crowd, per AP News. The duel between Curry and Wembanyama turned into the story of the game, one built on pace, angles, and the kind of improvisation that has defined Curry’s career.
Curry embraced that dynamic after the win. When asked about driving at Wembanyama and attacking him inside, the reporter compared it to “David vs Goliath,” per Talk Basket. Curry smiled. He added, “Yeah, I mean, when you get those uh those possessions, you try to just be decisive. I tried to shoot a couple rainbow moon balls over him… He challenges you in a way that doesn’t make any sense.”
He continued to praise the Spurs’ star, saying that the height and recovery ability from Wembanyama created situations that felt abnormal even to him. “So, uh I saw it in the Olympics and it always catches you off guard, but you know, he’s going to be around this league for a long time doing that,” Curry said.
Curry Highlights the Challenge of Beating Size With Skill
The most striking moment came during a late-game sequence that showed exactly what Curry meant, CBS Sports reports. The Warriors ran a high pick-and-roll to give Curry a runway at Wembanyama. Curry snaked off the screen, shifted left, then crossed over back to his right in one sharp motion. The move beat most players, yet Wembanyama stayed attached. Curry tried to pull him out to the perimeter, then attempted another shift in pace, but “Goliath” stayed in the picture.
Even when Curry gave the ball up and sprinted off screens, Wembanyama chased him step for step. On the same possession, he rotated to cut off a Draymond Green roll, forced a Gary Payton II miss at the rim, then ran the floor for a putback over Green and Moses Moody. It summed up why Curry said Wembanyama “challenges you in a way that doesn’t make any sense.”
Draymond Green’s defense also stood out, and Curry made sure to credit him. “He loves these types of matchups… He just made him work. He was physical all night. That’s the only way you can go against a talent like that,” Curry said.
Jimmy Butler Explains Golden State’s Formula
Jimmy Butler added clarity on how the Warriors closed the game, per NBC Sports. He had 28 points and eight assists, but he focused on Curry’s impact rather than his own. “You always have a chance when he’s on the floor, especially when he’s making incredible shots like he was,” Butler said.
He then shared what he calls The Art of Getting Out The Way. “Give the ball to 30, and get out the way. The talent will create the disadvantage, and I think that’s what we focused on tonight,” Butler said. “Give the ball to Steph, get out the way, and let Steph do what he’s been doing for so many years in this league and good things happen.”
Golden State needed that approach to outscore the Spurs 76-64 in the second half. Wembanyama finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Castle added a triple-double of his own. The Spurs suffered their first home loss of the season, but the game offered a preview of future Stephen Curry vs. Wembanyama battles: skill versus length, pace versus reach, and a rivalry that will only get more compelling.
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