Warriors’ Curry passes 14,000 career points
OAKLAND — With one quick dribble, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry split two defenders. With one quick pullup, Curry drained a mid-range jumper.
The moment captured Curry becoming the fifth player in Warriors franchise history to eclipse 14,000 career points. The rest of the Warriors’ 126113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Oracle Arena captured what has made Curry and the franchise he plays for so special.
While Curry had 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, the Warriors (39-10) led by as many 16 points because of a quickstrike offense that involved so many others and set a seasonhigh in 3-pointers made (20-of33). For the first time in his 11year NBA career, Warriors forward Kevin Durant posted a triple double in points (28) assists (11) and rebounds while shooting 10-of-19 from the field and a season-high 6-of-9 from 3point range. Klay Thompson spent little time holding onto the ball because he was too busy burying them in the basket en route to 25 points while 9-of-13 shooting from the field and a season-high 7-of-9 from the perimeter.
Warriors forward Andre Iguodala posted 10 points on 4of-8 shooting in what marked a rare breakout performance after spending most of the season struggling with his shooting accuracy. Warriors center Zaza Pachulia added nine points in his 1,000th career game. It turns out everyone that wears a Warriors jersey can shoot the ball well, including fans that toss under-handed shots in promo contests. The Warriors did all of this after not having morning shootaround, which is customary for most NBA teams.
As for Curry? He simply had another game that explains how he joined Paul Arizin, Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain and Chris Mullin to join the 14,000 scoring club.
“In many ways Steph is our franchise,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said beforehand. “When people think of the Warriors, they think Steph.”
Kerr then noted how several NBA fans around the world wear Curry’s jersey, including when the Warriors went on a pre-season trip to China. Kerr said he envisioned the same thing as the Phoenix Suns’ general manager, hoping he could select Curry in the 2009 NBA draft. Unfortunately for the Suns, they had the 14th pick while Golden State had the seventh pick.
Two NBA championships, a franchise record in 3-point shots and over 14,000 points later, and Curry basically spearheaded the Warriors’ offensive machine that cannot be stopped.
OAKLAND — Even if he has assembled an All-Star team filled with current teammates and future Hall of Fame talent, Stephen Curry’s team misses one distinguishable quality the Warriors have. Kevin Durant. Curry will team up with Warriors forward Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson, while Durant will be on LeBron James’ team for the 2018 NBA AllStar Game on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles. James declined to say who he selected first in his draft in a conference call on Thursday. But considering Curry stated he would like to have Durant on his team, it seems safe to say that James chose Durant with his first pick. Curry may have used his pick on Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after noting that Antetokounmpo dunked on him during the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.
The other starters for Team Stephen will include Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Houston’s James Harden, while the other starters for Team LeBron will feature New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis as well as Boston’s Kyrie Irving.
As reserves, Curry selected Green, Thompson, Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, Boston’s Al Horford, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry. Meanwhile, James picked San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington’s Bradley Beal and John Wall, Cleveland’s Kevin Love, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, New York’s Kristaps Porzingis and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.
Team Stephen is considered the home team at Staples Center, and, therefore, had first choice to select black uniforms and assigning Team LeBron with white jerseys.