Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry provided the Warriors and NBA fans alike with one of his classic shooting performances to give Golden State a boost. Despite the Warriors slow start Thursday against the Orlando Magic, led by Stephen Curry’s 56-point night, the Warriors erased a 14-point deficit at the half to defeat the Magic 121-115.
Curry tallied his 43rd 20-point quarter effort, the most of any current player dating back to 1996-97 and recorded his 45th game with 9 or more 3-pointers in a game. The Warriors star finished with 56 points, four rebounds and three assists shooting 16-of-25 from the field. Connecting on 12 of 19 3-pointers, falling just short of ex-teammate Klay Thompson’s 14 made 3s, Curry even connected on a ¾ court shot to end the half, igniting a third-quarter run.
STEPH ENDS THE HALF FROM WAY OUT 🚨
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/aiokt7QI6j
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 28, 2025
Curry began settling in late in the second quarter where he silenced Orlando’s crowd with a deep triple to conclude the half, where he finished with four made triples to go with 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field. It was a historical game for Curry but more importantly he gave the Warriors another win, their fifth straight and seventh since Jimmy Butler’s arrival from Miami.
Curry’s magic aside, the Warriors struggled on the road. The remainder of Golden State’s starters scored just 35 total points. Draymond Green and Moses Moody were three double-figure scorers for Golden State. Green tallied a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double and Moody tacked on 10 points. Quentin Post added 18 points off the bench. But Butler had just five points, four rebounds and seven assists on 1 of 7 from the field.
Curry may have ignited a possible streak for a couple more games with the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets next on the schedule.
Most 20-point quarters since 1996-97
- Stephen Curry (42)
- Kobe Bryant (36)
- James Harden (30)
- Damian Lillard (28)
- Devin Booker (27)
What part of Curry’s performance was the most impressive?
He scored 25 of his points in a 10-minute stretch that completely flipped the game. The Warriors were down 17 with 1.5 seconds left in the first half, inbounding from under their own hoop. Curry proceeded to hit a 49-footer from beyond halfcourt to trim the lead to 14 and then went nuclear during a 33-9 run out of the break.
When he checked out with two-plus minutes still left in the third quarter, the Warriors were up nine and Curry already had 43 points. — Anthony Slater, senior NBA writer
Was he needed in the fourth quarter?
Yes. Besides rookie center Quinten Post, there wasn’t much supplemental offensive help for Curry. Jimmy Butler had his worst game with the Warriors, finishing with a quiet five points on 1-of-7 shooting. The Warriors were a minus-9 with Curry off the floor. So he had to play hero down the stretch when the Magic threatened. Curry had 13 points in the final 4:01 of the game, drilling three straight 3s to keep the lead and four free throws to seal a fifth straight win. — Slater
Required reading
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
