“They do have a timeout, decide not to use it. Curry, way downtown … BANG!!! BANG!!! Oh, what a shot from Curry, with six tenths of a second remaining!”
Mike Breen’s double banger description of Stephen Curry’s game-winning shot in Oklahoma City on this date four years ago is perhaps the most memorable NBA call of the prior decade, and it will be surely remembered in Dub Nation as one of the best individual moments in franchise history for years to come.
As impressive as that moment was, and a go-ahead pull-up shot from 38 feet away with less than a second left in overtime was certainly impressive, it was the context of that moment that made it a signature play on the NBA’s ultimate highlight reel. Here are some reasons why this moment lives on, four years, and counting, after the Warriors’ 121-118 overtime win over the Thunder on Feb. 27, 2016.
Curry Splash Party
Stephen Curry’s game-winning deep splash was not your average game-winning shot, and the fact that it was from 38 feet away is only part of the story there. The deep splash was Stephen Curry’s 12th 3-pointer of the game, which at the time tied him with Kobe Bryant (1/7/03: LAL vs. SEA) and former Warrior Donyell Marshall (3/13/05: TOR vs. PHI) for most made threes in a single game.
And this wasn’t a one-game phenomena either, as Curry became the first player in NBA history with at least 10 made threes in consecutive games – he had 10 treys in a 51-point outburst against Orlando two days prior to his NBA-record matching 12 3-pointer, 46-point performance in Oklahoma City.
Furthermore, his 46 points in this one marked his third straight game with at least 40 points, marking the only time in his decorated career that he has achieved this feat. Curry was only the third different Warriors player in franchise history to post 40-plus in three consecutive games (Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry each did it multiple times, and Kevin Durant would go on to achieve the feat with the Dubs a few years later).
Curry’s 12 3-pointers in this game gave him 288 for the season, which eclipsed his prior NBA single-season record of 286 made threes in 2014-15. Curry would add to his record over the remaining month and a half of the season to finish with 402 made threes.
Save the Date
If a brilliant performance from Stephen Curry on Feb. 27 sounds familiar, that might be because exactly three years prior to his 38-foot game-winner in Oklahoma City, Curry recorded a career-high 54 points against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
NBA Saturday Primetime
ABC featuring a marquee NBA game on Saturday evening was still in its infant stages. This was the fourth such game of the debut season of NBA Saturday Primetime, and for many fans, it was responsible for the featured matchup turning into must-see theater.
Warriors vs. Thunder – A Budding Rivalry
The Warriors, coming off of their first of three championship seasons in a five-year span, were still the new kids on the block and they were taking on a Thunder squad headed by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that was a perennial threat in the West but never won an NBA Championship. The teams would meet again in an epic Western Conference Finals that season in which the Warriors overcame a 3-1 series deficit to reach the NBA Finals for the second consecutive season. And following the season, after the Warriors lost the NBA Finals after having a 3-1 series lead, Durant would sign with the Warriors and win two NBA Championships in his three seasons with the Dubs.
A Significant Win in a Historic Season
No Warriors game was decided by fewer points that season than this three-point victory, which improved the Dubs to 53-5, the best record in NBA history after 58 games. The Warriors would go on to finish with the best regular season record in NBA history at 73-9, and this particular victory occurred during a 25-2 stretch for the Warriors. Also of note, the Warriors clinched a playoff berth on this day, becoming the first team to secure a playoff spot in February since the 1987-88 Lakers.
More Fun Facts About the Game
- Draymond Green had 14 rebounds, 14 assists, six steals and four blocks in the game. He’s the only player in NBA history to have a game with at least 14 rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and four blocks. In addition, he’s one of five players in NBA history to have a game with at least 14 assists, 14 rebounds and fewer than 10 points.
- The Thunder's Kevin Durant matched a career-high with seven 3-pointers in that game before fouling out in the first minute of overtime.
- The Warriors held the lead for 29 seconds of the game’s 53 minutes. They trailed by as many as 14 points in the game and were down 11 with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
- Warriors forward Andre Iguodala was fouled on a jumper with 0.7 seconds left in regulation and made both of his free throws to tie the game and force overtime.