The excellence of Stephen Curry earned the Golden State Warriors their first win of the season series against the Phoenix Suns. His game-deciding three-pointer in front of the home crowd simultaneously extended their winning streak to four. Soon after the conclusion of the game, the team’s head coach Steve Kerr showered immense praise for the point guard through an ‘elite’ comparison.
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The outcome came down to the final Warriors possession as the 4x champion deceived Kevin Durant to receive the ball. After collecting the pass from outside the arc, the 35-year-old turned around to attempt a 29-feet three-pointer in a singular motion. Despite being contested by the Suns’ guards, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, the Akron-born scored from the deep to hand the hosts a 113-112 win. With only 0.7 seconds left to play, the brilliance eventually resulted in a triumph as the Warriors improved their win percentage to 50%.
STEPH CURRY FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/v0GsUMuu9z
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 11, 2024
After the conclusion of the clash, Kerr reflected on the 10x All-Star’s greatness before putting him in the same bracket as the all-time greats. Likening the Warriors guard with Hall of Famers such as Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan, the 58-year-old stated,
“Jordan, Duncan, Steph. Just get the ball to those guys, you’re going to win a lot”.
“Jordan, Duncan, Steph. Just get the ball to those guys, you’re going to win a lot.”
Kerr on Steph’s game-winner in tonight’s win pic.twitter.com/RmzDVsmudd
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 11, 2024
The high praise remained justified as the memorable instance separated the 2022 Finals MVP from his contemporaries. It was the Splash Brother’s 10th game-winning field goal in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime. The unthinkable stat line puts him in a league of his own as he tops the chart in this regard.
This is nothing new for Steph pic.twitter.com/k5y2GyVSO4
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 11, 2024
Thus, the tribute from the 9x championship-winning persona contained an immense amount of respect for Curry. Not only him but the entire NBA world joined in soon after to celebrate the rarity of the occasion.
How did the NBA react to the game-winner from Stephen Curry?
In the post-match interview, Gary Payton II showcased faith in the franchise’s talisman, stating, “We got Stephen Curry. Never worry”. Brandin Podziemski who threw the final pass the the 6ft 2″ star also displayed a relaxed demeanor upon reflecting on the game scenario. “I was only throwing the ball to him and let him do what he does,” the Warriors rookie mentioned.
Alongside the Warriors members, Kevin Durant, the former teammate of Curry, seemingly expressed his disbelief. During the final timeout of the match, the 2x champion looked at the display within the arena to revisit the moment. The Slim Reaper watched the instance with a smile on his face as he evidently accepted the impending defeat.
Kevin Durant after Steph’s 3 lol pic.twitter.com/gIk38UzlQh
— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 11, 2024