Steph Curry didn’t break Ray Allen’s all-time NBA 3-point record Wednesday night, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Curry was hoisting them early and often from beyond the arc as he entered the matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers trailing Allen’s NBA-record 2,973 threes by 15. Steph only made 6-of-17 from 3-point range but it hardly mattered against the toothless Blazers, who were without stars Damian Lillard (abdomen) and CJ McCollum (collapsed right lung). The Warriors struggled to find any offensive rhythm all game but still wrapped up the homestand with a 104-94 win.
Curry led the Warriors with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting, but Golden State shot just 39.8 percent as a team despite facing the league’s worst defense.
"I thought Steph took a couple of quick ones early that -- maybe he was trying to get himself going," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "When the ball doesn't go in, it's hard to get momentum, hard to get the crowd into it. It felt like at that point, let's grind it out and let's win the game. Unfortunately, we could never give our fans much to get thrilled about, but it's good to be in this position where we're still winning games if we're not playing our best."
In all likelihood, Curry will break Allen’s record on the upcoming five-game road trip. He needs 10 3-pointers to surpass Allen as the Warriors will play at the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors over the next 10 days. Curry is yet to sink double-digit 3-pointers in a single game but has knocked down nine on four different occasions this season.
Steph is on a blistering pace for about 433 3-pointers made this season, which would shatter his NBA record of 402 from his MVP-winning 2015-16 campaign. Curry leads the league with 132 made 3-pointers this year and is in a class of his own. His total represents 150 percent of second-place Buddy Hield's total (88).
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Though the Warriors were cold from 3-point land as a team (30.4 percent), Otto Porter Jr. had another fine night off the bench. Porter went 4-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 15 points. Over his past eight games, Porter is shooting a scorching 46.7 percent (21-of-45) from long distance.
"We needed somebody to start knocking down shots," Kerr said. "Otto made some timely ones, especially in that second half."
Despite all the added attention on Curry as he approaches Allen's record, Porter says the Warriors aren't adjusting their playing style.
"He's going to break the record eventually," Porter said. "We all know that. It's just a matter of time. My job is to continue to get open looks, even after he breaks the record. He's got a lot more left in the tank."
Jordan Poole (20 points), Andrew Wiggins (14 points) and Kevon Looney (11 points) also scored in double digits for the Dubs, who continued their dominance at Chase Center. Golden State owns a league-best 14-2 record at home with an average margin of victory of 16 points.
