SACRAMENTO — With 2:39 left in Sunday’s contest, Steph knew his workday was over.
For all the drama, all the hand-wringing and fingernail biting that this series had brought, he ended Game 7 early.
With the fate of the dynasty potential hanging in the balance, Curry dropped the first 50 burger of his playoff career. As he walked to the bench, his mouthpiece hanging on his lips, he let out another roar to the Sacramento crowd as he sat on the bench one last time.
Behind Steph’s career playoff performance, the Warriors ended up waltzing to a 120-100 victory, as Curry scored 16 points in the final period to put it out of reach. In the process, he became the first player to ever score 50 points in a Game 7. Leave it to his Hall of Fame teammates to sum it up best.
"What an incredible performance," Klay Thompson said. "This is a Game 7 I’ll forever remember as the Steph Curry game."
"He left no doubt. And I think that’s a beautiful thing," Draymond Green said.
"We always talk about Game 7 and how big that is in sports. To see a GOAT leave no doubt, that’s absolutely incredible."
Before that, Steph also mocked the Kings' infamous 'Light the beam!' rally cry that spawned this season, pretending to hit the button that Kings fans love so dearly.
"All that kinda stuff comes out when you get the job done," Curry said. "Sometimes you’re on the wrong end of it. We got a lot of experience winning series, so you just let all that out. This is hard."
We’ve seen this movie before, but it doesn’t get any less special. We’ve seen Steph put the Warriors on his back in iconic high-profile matchups, like his 43-point Game 4 masterclass in Boston last year or his epic 40-point performance against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2015 first round. But the Game 7 element of this one ensures it will be remembered in Warriors lore.
For all we know, this could have been the last time Steph and Draymond and Klay suited up on the floor together. This could have been their first ever loss to a Western Conference playoff foe in the Steve Kerr era. It could have been the beginning of the end. Not today, Steph said.
It might have felt like a pressure cooker in Golden 1 Center for everyone but Steph before the game. In the middle of his pregame warmups, after casually sinking a shot from the midcourt logo, Steph started dancing, looking loose as ever.
The antsiest he might have looked was probably just a few minutes into the first quarter, as Kerr subbed him and Draymond off the floor early to set them up for a big second-half workload. Steph ambled around midcourt during a TV timeout, looking ready to get back in, but he had to wait with his new sub pattern.
Steph started the fourth quarter and didn't leave until the game was in hand. He was going to be responsible for driving the stake into the heart of Sacramento’s dream season. Three-pointers, unstoppable scoops at the rim. Steph simply wouldn’t be denied.
At the 5:55 mark, Curry set a new career high with a clutch 3-pointer in the corner and got to celebrate quickly with Andre Iguodala before running back on the floor.
No flatlining for the Warriors dynasty. The heartbeat of Golden State is still alive, so long as No. 30 is on the floor.
"To do this for a decade, it's incredible," Kerr said. "The energy that it takes to fight off challengers year after year and have to prepare and win big games. There’s a reason these guys are Hall of Famers and champions."
While Steph was the only player to score at least 18 points for the Warriors, Kevon Looney registered his third 20-rebound game of the series and continued to prove his immense worth. Looney finished with 11 points, 21 rebounds (11 offensive) and four assists while helping the Warriors win the all-important rebound battle 55-49.
"They were really good," Looney said. "I didn’t know what to expect going into this series. I’ve played a lot of playoff series, but this was definitely one of the toughest that we had to play in. Adjustments each game. Each game was a chess match, from the lineups to different defenses to offensive things they were doing. It was tough."
The Kings deserve major kudos for pushing this series to a fitting seven games, but Curry is still The Champ until proven otherwise.
"We love when we can prove a lot of people wrong," Curry said. "It’s part of our vibe now."
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