Stephen Curry’s indomitable spirit was on full show as he fearlessly drove to the basket, executing jaw-dropping acrobatics and unleashing pin-point precision pictures from approach past the arc in a Game 7 extravaganza for the ages, fascinating the world together with his big-game swagger and leaving a celebratory grin etched on his face.
He even playfully pretended to push the button and Light the Beam, Sacramento-style.
Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 factors in probably the most prolific Game 7 efficiency ever and answered again and again to will the Warriors on of their quest for a repeat, sending Golden State into the Western Conference semifinals with a 120-100 win in opposition to the Sacramento Kings in Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 7.
Curry led a memorable comeback within the sequence, too, maybe inconceivable even for the defending champions once they received down 2-0 and given their highway woes all season.
“It’s amazing ‘cuz you’re still in the fight,” Curry said. “Better than the choice of on the surface wanting in. Having been down 0-2 on this sequence, nothing was assured, you do not take something with no consideration.”
Curry’s factors are probably the most in NBA historical past in a Game 7, topping former teammate Kevin Durant’s 48 for the Nets in opposition to Milwaukee in 2021.
“For Steph to be the primary participant ever to get 50 in a Game 7, he’s elegant,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned.
Kevon Looney grabbed 21 rebounds for a Warriors staff that wanted to win twice on the highway going through a hostile, cowbell-clanging crowd within the state capital to turn into the primary reigning champion to drop the primary two video games and win any postseason sequence.
Now, deliver on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers within the Western Conference semifinals with all that NBA Finals historical past between James and Golden State relationship to his Cleveland days. Game 1 is Tuesday night time at Chase Center.
Sacramento’s particular comeback season is over lengthy earlier than these younger Kings had deliberate. After snapping a 16-year playoff drought – longest in NBA historical past – underneath Coach of the Year Mike Brown, playoff-starved Sacramento missed advancing to the second spherical for the primary time since 2004.
Curry shot 20 of 38 with seven 3s and delivered after nearly each large play by Sacramento as Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled on each ends once more. But Thompson got here by means of in some essential moments.
“What an incredible performance,” Thompson mentioned. “This is a Game 7 I’ll without end bear in mind because the Steph Curry sport.”
Malik Monk’s putback and three-point play with 14.6 seconds remaining within the third pulled Sacramento inside six just for Thompson to hit a protracted 3 and convert a four-point play to make it 91-81 heading into the ultimate 12 minutes.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists however the Warriors held De’Aaron Fox in examine as he scored 16 factors on 5-for-19 capturing in his third sport taking part in with a damaged index finger on his capturing hand.
Trailing 58-56 at halftime, the Warriors opened the second half with a 13-4 burst and held the Kings to 42 factors after intermission.
Sacramento had scored early on with a wonderful mixture of traditional give-and-goes and lengthy jumpers off crisp passing across the perimeter.
But Curry stored coming, and Looney stored scrapping to create second and third alternatives to cap his good sequence on the boards. They despatched Kings followers to the exits late within the fourth.
Thompson started 1 for 10 lacking his first 5 3s earlier than connecting on the 9:18 mark of the third and ending with 16 factors on 4-for-19 capturing – “disgusting,” he said – while playing smothering defense. Golden State, playing just its fourth Game 7 under Kerr since the 2014-15 title run, was smart down the stretch after 18 turnovers in Game 6 led to 23 Kings points and Kerr calling his team “wildly undisciplined.”
Kerr had little question earlier than the deciding sport – and he went again to Draymond Green within the beginning lineup for Game 7 with the season on the road after the fiery ahead got here off the bench the earlier three contests following a Game 3 suspension for stepping on Sabonis.
Just earlier than the ultimate buzzer, Kerr supplied a protracted embrace to Brown – Golden State’s former high assistant who as soon as coached the Warriors on the postseason stage throughout Kerr’s prolonged well being absence and simply guided the Kings’ exceptional turnaround.
“I can’t dream of nothing like this, gotta see it in person,” Monk said of all the successes. “You cannot dream something like this until you are doing it. Looking ahead to being again subsequent 12 months.”
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