The Golden State Warriors needed every bit of Stephen Curry’s brilliance on Friday night. In one of the most electric performances of the season, the 37-year-old poured in a season-high 49 points to lift Golden State past the San Antonio Spurs 109 to 108 in NBA Cup play.
The night was special on its own, but the history that came with it elevated it even further. Curry recorded his 44th career 40-point game after turning 30, tying Michael Jordan for the most in NBA history at that age. He also became only the third player age 37 or older, along with LeBron James and Jordan, to post back-to-back 40-point games.
Curry has entered rare air once again.
Warriors Star Dominates Spurs in One of the Season’s Best Performances
Curry delivered one of the most complete offensive showings of his career. He finished 16 of 26 from the field, 9 of 17 from deep, and 8 of 8 at the line, adding four rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 36 minutes.
Golden State trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter, but Curry authored another avalanche. He scored 31 of the Warriors’ 62 second-half points, including a run of 14 straight to close the third quarter and 10 more in the final frame.
His shotmaking bordered on absurd. Step-backs over contests, deep threes in semi-transition, and a circus and-one floater that felt like a video game glitch. After the game, Curry acknowledged how much the moment meant to him.
“It’s pretty cool from an individual accomplishment perspective,” Curry said via NBC Sports Warriors. “That longevity is something I pride myself on.”
This was his third 40-point game of the season. In year 17, he still looks like the most dangerous scorer in the building every night.
Why This Scoring Stretch Puts Curry on Another Level Among Guards
The Warriors star is redefining what late-career guard dominance looks like. According to Carson Breber of Volume Sports, the previous high for points per game by a guard age 37 or older was 15.0 by Dwyane Wade.
Curry is averaging 29.1.
Even Jordan, listed as a small forward in his age-38 and age-39 seasons, averaged 22.9 and 20.0 points respectively. LeBron put up 30.3 points in his age-37 season, but his two-game high that year was 82 points.
Curry just had 95 in two games on the road.
He also matched Jordan’s mark of consecutive 45-plus-point games in his late 30s. Jordan needed 70 shot attempts to get there. Curry needed just 51.
This level of scoring efficiency, volume, and longevity simply does not exist anywhere else in NBA history among guards.
Warriors: Curry Saves the Offense, But Help Is Needed
While Curry lit up San Antonio, the rest of the Warriors struggled to generate reliable offense.
Non-Curry Warriors shot 22 of 64 from the field and 8 of 28 from three. Jimmy Butler was the only other player to score more than 10 points, finishing with 21. Will Richard shot efficiently at 4 of 7, but Golden State got little else from the supporting cast.
The bench scored just 12 points before two timely threes from Gary Payton II. Golden State won the rebounding battle with 39 boards, including 15 offensive rebounds, but much of that came from extra effort rather than smooth offensive structure.
Curry’s masterpiece masked those issues. His shotmaking saved the night. But the Warriors need reliability around him if they want to push themselves back into contention.
A move may be necessary.
Insiders around the league believe that Jonathan Kuminga alone may not net a difference-making player, but a package built around Kuminga and one or two first-round picks could put targets like Trey Murphy III on the table. A swing of that magnitude would put Golden State in the same tier as Oklahoma City and Denver.
The front office knows what is at stake. Curry is still playing at an MVP level. The question is whether the roster around him can meet the moment.
What Comes Next for the Warriors
Friday’s win bumped the Warriors to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in West Group C of the NBA Cup. They remain in the thick of the West’s early season pack, but Curry’s brilliance has provided clarity.
He is still capable of carrying Golden State. He is still rewriting record books. He is still performing at a level few players in league history have touched.
The Warriors now head to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Sunday. If Curry keeps playing like this, Golden State will always have a chance.
But for the Warriors to climb into the league’s true contender tier again, nights like Friday may also be the loudest reminder that help is needed — and the sooner, the better.
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