In a historic Game 7 performance, Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a 120-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference series. Curry scored 50 points on 20-of-38 shooting, which is the most scored in a Game 7 in NBA history. He also became the first player in Warriors history with 40-plus points in a Game 7. Curry’s performance prompted Warriors coach Steve Kerr to call him one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
Warriors Overcome Slow Start
Although Curry’s performance was impressive, the Warriors got little help from his teammates early in the game. Klay Thompson went 1-of-10 and Jordan Poole scored just five points in the first half. Through the first 24 minutes, the Warriors appeared to be outmatched by the Kings. Yet they trailed by just two points at halftime.
The game-changer was the Warriors’ presence on the boards in the third quarter. Golden State grabbed 23 rebounds to Sacramento’s nine, 13 of which were offensive, tied for the most they have had in any quarter in the past 20 campaigns (regular season or playoffs). The Warriors slowed down the Kings through rebounding, taking control of the pace and attempting 10 more shots in the third quarter. They outscored Sacramento by 22 in the second half, tied for the fifth-largest point differential in the second half of a Game 7 in NBA playoff history.
Warriors Advance to Conference Semifinals
The Warriors will now face the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals, with Game 1 on Tuesday at San Francisco’s Chase Center. This was the fifth Game 7 the Warriors have played in during the past 10 seasons. All of them have a measure of fame or notoriety, but Warriors teammate Klay Thompson said this is a Game 7 he will forever remember as the Steph Curry game. The victory was also the most gratifying he has been a part of, Thompson told ESPN. Golden State forward Draymond Green agreed, stating it’s because of what Curry did.
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