If you wanted a break from the madness surrounding Steph Curry’s pursuit of Ray Allen, you’re out of luck. The Warriors superstar will head to the basketball mecca of Madison Square Garden on Tuesday needing one 3-pointer to tie Allen’s all-time mark of 2,973 career threes.
Curry went 5-for-15 from 3-point land in 35 minutes Monday night while scoring a team-high 26 points in a tight 102-100 win over the Indiana Pacers on the road. The crowd rose to its feet with less than a minute left once Curry was one 3-pointer shy of Allen, but he missed his final attempt of the night.
"I'm enjoying the moment," Curry said after the game. "Now that you're knocking on the doorstep, it's pretty surreal. But you're also just trying to let it happen. One thing I've learned over the past three games is to keep playing basketball and keep taking shots you'll make. Enjoy the experience of it."
Though it’s a record that’s 13 years in the making since Curry made his debut as a skinny kid out of Davidson, intense attention has been mounting over the past week. Curry admitted Monday morning there was a sense of “anxiousness” as he approached the record. The hype is only sure to build heading into Tuesday night’s matchup against the Knicks.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said it seems like Curry is pressing a bit as he approaches Allen's record.
"I thought he had good energy tonight," Kerr said. "I thought looked like he was moving really well. I think he's been trying a little bit too hard the last few games, just trying to make threes and get to this record. It'll be a relief for him, I think, for our team when he does break it. But I just think he's just been trying a little bit too hard. A lot of them have been coming out of blitzes and he's coming off pick-and-roll. Just needs to make the simple pass. He knows that."
Kerr also joked with reporters Monday that he would sit Steph on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
"I'm resting Steph tomorrow," Kerr said with a deadpan delivery, before cracking a smile. "There's a good chance Steph will play."
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Curry has a history of exploding at Madison Square Garden, including a memorable 54-point game in 2013 when he played all 48 minutes. He’s 33 now so he won’t be playing the entire game Tuesday on the second leg of a back-to-back, but Curry might not need much time to achieve the feat.
Earlier this week, Allen said he was planning on being in the building “by hook or by crook” to see Curry break his record. It should be quite the spectacle when Curry does the inevitable Tuesday night.
"We're used to it," Kerr said. "Every time Steph gets the ball, home or on the road, there's an anticipation in the crowd, there's a sense that he's going to do something special. As soon as he lets the shot fly, feels like everybody's standing up and anticipating what's about to happen. We're lucky to be part of this and observe it every night as he puts on an amazing show."
Steph is a showman after all. Breaking the record at Madison Square Garden in New York City seems much more appropriate than the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Curry and his teammates should have a nice night to celebrate Tuesday in the Big Apple with a couple of off-days before their next matchup in Boston.
