SAN FRANCISCO — The disappointment fell on Stephen Curry. Until it boils to the surface. Until he let out a roar. Until he tore his jersey by the collar at 30.
He had scored 46 points on 35 shots, benefiting from just three free throws in his 43 minutes. He got the tying layup at the end of regulation. Inside the final minute of the first overtime, he made a layup and then hit a huge corner 3, setting up the game-tying 3 by Klay Thompson that kept the Warriors alive. Then, in the second overtime, Curry’s final points of the night came on a 26-footer from the top with 4.7 seconds left, bringing the Warriors within a point.
He left his trail in the air as he backpedaled. Too much spent for a more elaborate celebration. The NBA’s leader in clutch points added 19 more in this double-overtime affair, including 10 in the second overtime. Most nights, that would be enough.
MOM, THERE GOES THIS MAN ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/KsIABjnkfV
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2024
But on the other team he was Curry’s partner in greatness. His most validating and brave enemy. LeBron James. They have exchanged heartbreaks and hugs over the years. James, whose Lakers knocked Curry’s Warriors out of the playoffs last year, had more grief for Curry.
The 39-year-old James beat a rookie nearly half his age off the dribble, passed another young sprinter and fed for a powerful drive at the rim. He won the foul and, capping his spectacular night, made a pair of free throws to give the Lakers the win, 145-144. James’ 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists in nearly 48 minutes accuse his birth certificate of fraud.
Not winning like they’re used to, both need everything they’ve got just to stay in the race, hoping both can find crucial help to get them back into the realm of contenders. But Saturday showed that Curry and LeBron are still captivating. It will be a decade next February since LeBron’s buzzer-beating 3 against the Warriors at the Oracle in Oakland debuted “The Silencer” celebration and sparked this must-see theater duo. All these years later, when they share a court, it’s still the best theater in the NBA.
“It’s something you’ll really understand when you’re done playing,” LeBron James said during his courtside interview, “and you’ll be able to watch with your grandkids and say I played against one of the greatest players ever of the seasons. play this game. Steph, after the game, came up to me and said, ‘How does it get better and better? How do we keep getting better?’ I think it’s just a true testament that we put the work into the game, we’re loyal to the game and the game continues to give back to us.”
James and D’Angelo Russell made sure another close game slipped out of the Warriors’ hands. But this time, it wasn’t so much about what the Warriors didn’t do. This loss wasn’t due to an incredible upset like the scary loss to Sacramento two nights earlier was. Or a questionable coaching decision. Or because they disbanded against an attack. Or even because of missed shots.
However, one of their best efforts almost counts as a victory. Loose. The Warriors are now 15-13 in clutch games with Curry (0-4 without him). They are five games under .500 and still on the outside of the postseason field. They can play as well as anyone, but they don’t win as often as the best teams.
“Our whole season,” Curry said, “we’ve had some tough breaks, some self-injury. A couple of games that you obviously should have won and there is frustration that leaves the floor. … We fought the whole way. We stuck with it even when things didn’t go our way, we gave ourselves a chance. He goes on the last possession three or four times in regulation, both overtimes. It just shows that we really want it. We’re playing with a little bit of desperation trying to turn the tide of our season and we just don’t have anything to show for it right now.”
LeBron James and Stephen Curry combined for 82 points on 60 shots and plenty of snaps in Saturday’s double-overtime thriller in San Francisco. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
But their peak is still high enough to get drunk. Saturday was a gallery of their best.
Curry, obviously. Draymond Green was very much the difference maker he always has been, on both ends, and the combustible will that often burns him tonight kept the Warriors firing. Thompson was vintage in the second half after a brutal first half. His defense on LeBron, his shooting, his competitive spirit. Jonathan Kuminga was ready and impressive. His 22 points and nine rebounds in 43 minutes showed he can play at this level. He should have a bigger role in attack.
Coach Steve Kerr is confident a streak is coming. His Warriors are poised for a breakthrough. They have one more game at home against Philadelphia before a road trip that begins with three losses.
It’s only possible if the Warriors’ determination is stronger than the fabric of their jersey.
“Our guys were amazing, they were amazing,” Kerr said. “The way they fought, competed and stayed in the game. He made so many works. I just felt like we deserved to win that game the way the guys fought. So many projects that could have gone either way. It felt like a game we deserved to win. As long as we keep playing like we did tonight, then I think we’ll turn it around and have a great season. I really believe that.”
The Lakers are in the same situation, albeit a bit closer to where they want to be than the Warriors thanks to a more solid foundation with James and an elite version of Anthony Davis. Their best, too, looks worthy. The Warriors seem to be pulling this one off.
But playing their best in moments, in games, is not their problem. It’s sustainability. It is the consistency and versatility of their greatness that is lacking. They don’t seem to do it every night. They don’t seem to call it that many ways.
The Lakers and the Warriors.
Saturday conspired to awaken greatness from both teams. A prime-time game. A very important one for both middle teams. Hall of Fame presence throughout the floor. Appreciating the scene, the moment, and still being in it.
They gave a thriller. They stood by their names. Many times, Curry took matters into his own hands and succeeded like a superstar. But on this night, LeBron James had the ball last.
So Curry left the court overwhelmed with frustration. With his jersey in his hands.
“It actually makes it worse,” Curry said. “Win, lose or whatever, there’s an energy to what we’re trying to do. So the good news is that if we can continue to do that, you’d like to think that you could build momentum, and that’s our hope. But it’s just a tough … back-to-back home games where you play well enough to win and you just don’t get it done.”
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(Top photo of LeBron James and Stephen Curry after Saturday’s game: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
