At 38 years old, Stephen Curry is still finding ways to make the extraordinary look routine. And on Saturday night, the Golden State Warriors superstar delivered another reminder that his basketball prime might not have an expiration date.
Curry erupted for 41 points, six rebounds and six assists, leading Golden State to a thrilling 126-119 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic at Chase Center and extending the Warriors’ remarkable winning streak to seven games.
The two-time MVP was almost impossibly efficient, shooting 13-of-19 from the field, 5-of-10 from three-point range and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.
But it wasn’t simply the numbers that made his performance special. It was the timing. After Golden State squandered a 16-point halftime advantage, Curry repeatedly rescued his team during a frantic fourth quarter. He scored 19 points across the final period and overtime, delivering one spectacular basket after another whenever Orlando threatened to seize control.
With the game hanging in the balance, Curry converted a driving layup to tie the score, buried consecutive clutch three-pointers and eventually finished another difficult drive with 25.2 seconds remaining to put Golden State ahead 110-108.
Orlando refused to surrender. Jamal Cain converted a putback with 1.5 seconds remaining, forcing overtime and threatening to spoil another vintage Curry performance.
The extra period merely gave him another opportunity to take over. With Golden State trailing 118-117, Curry attacked the basket, converted a difficult floater through contact and completed the three-point play to give the Warriors the lead for good with 1:38 remaining.
Moments later, he added another driving basket to create separation before rookie Yaxel Lendeborg helped finish the job.
And in the process, Curry made NBA history. Saturday marked his 16th career 40-point game since turning 35, surpassing LeBron James’ previous record of 15. Michael Jordan, for comparison, recorded 12 such performances after his 35th birthday.
Curry also reached two additional milestones. A first-quarter three-pointer extended his streak to 100 consecutive games with at least one made three, marking the third separate 100-game streak of his career. No other player in NBA history has accomplished that more than once.
He also collected his 5,000th career rebound, joining an exclusive group of players with at least 26,000 points, 6,000 assists and 5,000 rebounds.
For Golden State, Curry’s brilliance continues to fuel one of the season’s most surprising stories. After opening the campaign with three consecutive defeats, the Warriors have now won seven straight, improving to 7-3. They became the first team since the 1950-51 Boston Celtics to respond to an 0-3 start with seven consecutive victories.
And Curry isn’t doing it alone. Lendeborg contributed 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Orlando, continuing his impressive rookie campaign. Brandin Podziemski added 15 points, while Draymond Green recorded a season-high 13 assists.
The Warriors needed all of it against an Orlando team led by Franz Wagner’s 30 points and 11 assists. The Magic dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 24 offensive rebounds to Golden State’s three, but couldn’t overcome the Warriors’ superior shooting efficiency.
Still, the evening ultimately belonged to Curry. In his 18th NBA season, the greatest shooter in basketball history is averaging more than 30 points per game, rewriting age-related scoring records and carrying a supposedly aging Warriors roster toward the top of the Western Conference.
There will eventually come a time when Curry can no longer summon these performances whenever his team desperately needs them.
But that time clearly hasn’t arrived.
