SACRAMENTO — Stephen Curry’s epic Game 7 performance — in which his 50 points set a record for a win-or-go-home game — actually began Saturday morning. Well before the Warriors’ 120-100 win over the Kings.
He was so angry after their Game 6 loss on Friday night, when they squandered a chance to clinch with a spirit-less loss at Chase Center. He was so disgusted by how they played, so disappointed in the division they allowed to seep in. Curry couldn’t sleep.
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When he gave up trying and got up, before the sun had even risen, he checked his phone and saw a text at 3:45 a.m. Turns out Draymond Green couldn’t sleep either.
They exchanged messages about their embarrassment, how Kings guard Malik Monk called them old, about the fractured focus they’ve witnessed in their huddle. Green was prepared to speak to the team, to try galvanizing the bunch. But Curry was fed up enough to tell Green, “let me take this one.” That was all Green needed to hear.
Before the start of Saturday’s film session, Curry stood before the group. In the glass-walled atrium on the ninth floor of Chase Center, a space known as “Above the Rim” that overlooks the Bay, he had their undivided attention.
“I don’t even talk a lot,” Curry said to the team, “but I’ve got something to say.”
His speeches are scarce. His pep talks are mostly one-on-one. Teammates consider it rare, but when he does speak, everyone listens explicitly.
This speech, though, would become part of his legend. The prelude to perfection.
Even though he’s one of the guys, Curry still has an aura in the Warriors locker room. They see his humility, his jovial nature and approachability. But they know who he is, who they get to play with. His respect is unimpeachable. They recognize a legend in their midst.
“He is that guy,” Gary Payton II said at his locker after the game. “So when he speaks, everybody better listen. Because 30 is usually quiet and lets his game speak for itself. But he had to say what he had to say, because he knew what type of vibe it was … and I don’t think he wanted to give this one up. So he led and we followed.”
The reason they listen was on display at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday. In 38 minutes, Curry snatched hope from the Kings. In 38 shots, Curry reminded the world of his greatness.
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And when he was done, he was telling the raucous Kings fans they weren’t ready for the wrath of a legend. He dropped 50 and then was looking for 50 Cent to light the beam. But on this afternoon, it wouldn’t be a purple laser piercing the sky. Instead a blue and gold goat signal.
Curry averaged 31 points on 22.3 shots over the first six games of the series. The Warriors had outscored the Kings by 33 points in his minutes heading into Game 7. Sunday, he had 27 shots through three quarters. By the time he checked out for good with 2:39 remaining, he was plus-25. The same Kings who looked so close to knocking off the defending champions suddenly looked so far from the level the Warriors reached.
“At this point, he’s reminding people for no reason,” Jordan Poole said, “He’s got the same edge as any of the other greats. Mamba Mentality, all of that s—. Steph got that s—. That’s what makes him so special. Maybe his approach is a bit different than the other guys, but we know he’s a killer. Everybody in the world knows he’s a killer.”
But the Warriors didn’t win solely because of Curry’s 50. They won because, unlike in Game 6 at Chase Center, they were locked in for the biggest game of the season to date. Their team defense kept Sacramento to 42 second-half points. They were united as they took on the emboldened, youthful Kings, took on the frenzied crowd, took on the pressure of keeping their dynasty alive.
And they were together because Curry made sure of it. With what a few of his teammates called the greatest speech of his career.
“It gave me chills,” Andrew Wiggins said. “No. 30, he’s different, man.”
According to multiple sources in the private session, Curry told the team he believed in them, that they had enough to win. He asked for their trust in return. He assured them he could deliver victory if they all bought in. He implored them to put all of their feelings aside — which sources with knowledge of the locker room felt was messaging directed at Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and other guys who might’ve been unhappy for reasons such as playing time and role — and lock in to the unified mission. Anyone who wanted to remain in their emotions, he told them to stay home. Anyone who was ready for their vacation, he told them not to get on the bus for Sacramento. But anyone who did get on the bus, Curry took that as a signature of approval, a binding agreement to be on board with the mission. And if they did that, if they got on the bus, he promised he’d deliver. With his game, his faith, their solidarity, they’d win.
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Because of who he is, and how rarely he does this, it hit home in a way only Curry could pull off. He saved the Warriors’ season before Game 7 even began.
“You’re in this space where you gon’ fold or you gon’ rise up,” Green said, his voice raising with excitement as he relived the speech. “Once he did that, you have no choice but to rise up. He f—ing got everybody locked in. ‘If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team. No matter if you play zero minutes or 40 minutes. You’re making a commitment to do whatever it takes. Prepare your mind and body for this opportunity we have. We got embarrassed the other night and we never f—ing going out like that.’”
Kevon Looney — who had his own career night, grabbing 20 or more rebounds for the third time this series — said he knew it was over when Curry, early in the game, waved off a screen. He wanted to go iso. That usually means his aggression is at max levels, that he sees a weakness and wants to attack it.
He had 20 points by halftime. He went at Terence Davis, who replaced Davion Mitchell on Curry as the Kings sought more space and shooting. And when it wasn’t Davis, Curry was luring Keegan Murray onto him. But, very much on brand, it was the third quarter where Curry put his foot on the gas. He scored 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting in the quarter, leading the way as turning a small Kings halftime lead into a 10-point Warriors advantage.
Suddenly, it was the Kings who looked nervous, who felt the pressure of the moment. They started looking like so many have during this championship era, when the weight of the Warriors finally crushes them. The Chris Paul Clippers. The James Harden Rockets. The Damian Lillard Blazers. The Kevin Durant Thunder. The LeBron James Cavaliers. The Ja Morant Grizzlies. The Jayson Tatum Celtics. And now the De’Aaron Fox Kings.
The Warriors weren’t playing lights out. Wiggins, whose 17 points was the next highest for the Warriors, missed enough layups and free throws to leave him frustrated. Klay Thompson was 4-for-19. The Warriors got just 18 points from their bench and made fewer than a third of their 3-pointers again. That doesn’t count a season full of drama they’d been lugging around like baggage. The fissures that were ready to rip open. The tired legs and wanting size.
What the Warriors did have, however, was Curry and a newfound togetherness. They had a promise from one of the all-time greats and a bus loaded with commitment.
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When Curry finished his appeal to the team, he opened the floor for anyone else who had something to add. He started the seminal moment but was willing to share with a teammate.
But there was no need. After Curry speaks, no more words are necessary.
“Enough said champ!” Green yelled in response to Curry. “Nobody got nothing! That’s it. What else can be said?”
The only talking left to do was on the court.
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(Top Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)