Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images
It finally happened: Stephen Curry went a game without making a three.
The Golden State Warriors have stumbled out of the gates to start the 2023-2024 season, but Stephen Curry more or less remains as great as ever. The Warriors entered the weekend in turmoil with a 10-14 record as they received news of Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension for his latest act of violence on the basketball court. The Warriors trotted out a new starting lineup featuring rookie guard Brandin Podziemski and young forward Jonathan Kuminga, and they crossed their fingers they could start finding solutions to a long list of problems.
The Warriors beat the Nets, 124-120, on Saturday night in the Bay behind another brilliant effort from Curry. Curry finished with 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting (6-of-8 from three) to pace the Golden State offense, including a couple game-sealing buckets late. Curry was so locked in he was calling timeouts for Brooklyn.
The Warriors played the next night, and earned a tough win over the Portland Trail Blazers, 118-114. For once, Curry was ice cold, but his teammates picked up the slack on the second night of a back-to-back. Curry finished with only seven points and eight assists on 2-of-12 shooting from the field and 0-of-8 shooting from three in the win. That broke a streak of 268 consecutive games with a made three.
Stephen Curry’s streak of consecutive regular-season games with a made 3-pointer snapped tonight in Portland at 268. You could stack the next five shooters on top of each other and Steph’s streak was longer lol pic.twitter.com/o5gFk9lvte
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) December 18, 2023
The gap between Curry and the other players on a streak of consecutive games with a made three shows just how difficult his accomplishment was. Anyone can have an off night in an 82-game season. Curry rarely does.
The last time Curry didn’t make a three-pointer was Nov. 8, 2018 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
With Curry unable to buy a bucket, his old pal Klay Thompson stepped up to save the day. Thompson’s struggles this season have been one of the biggest storylines during the Warriors’ slow start, but against the Blazers he looked like his old self, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from three. Andrew Wiggins, another struggling Warrior this season, finished with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench.
Podziemski took a charge in the final seconds to seal the win.
Don’t feel too bad for Curry. On Saturday against the Nets, he became the first player to cross 3,500 made threes in his career. No other player has ever even hit 3,000.
Steph Curry is the first player in NBA history to reach 3,500 threes
No other player has ever made 3,000 and only 3 other players have made 2,500.
pic.twitter.com/cg5avMo64g
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 17, 2023
The Warriors needed to show Curry they have pick him up on a down night. Golden State still has a deep hole to climb out of at 12-14 on the season, but these two wins have to give them some confidence this season isn’t out of reach yet.
