He showed up when Team USA probably needed him most. If Stephen Curry was discreet (and clumsy) since the start of the tournament, against Serbia, it was he who took things in hand.
“I wasn't under pressure, because we were winning by 15, 20 points every game.”, he estimates. “I know I impact the game in other ways. But about two minutes into the game tonight (yesterday), we realized I had good shots, they were playing a different type of defense on us. Obviously, they were scoring crazy on the other end of the floor, but we had to keep going and go for it.”
In the first quarter, the Warriors' leader had already scored 17 points while his team was trailing 31-23. After Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards, it was Stephen Curry's turn to lead the United States' attack.
A “divine performance” according to Kevin Durant
“That’s what the game demands. I shot three times in the last game and I wasn’t trying to force it because that’s not what the game demands. That’s the beauty of Team USA, FIBA basketball and this whole experience. Every game has been different.” explains the Warriors leader.
At the end of the game, “Chef Curry” will score a 9th 3-point shot to seal his team's advantage. Result? 36 points on 12/19 shooting, including 9/14 from afar. Games with 9 three-pointers scored on a selection of 14 shots or less, this has only happened nine times in his NBA career. At the best of times, Stephen Curry has shone like rarely.
“Steph, man, that was a divine performance.”acknowledged Kevin Durant. “Man, he was tough. He felt like he was struggling all tournament long, and we always said every night he could be a different guy. And tonight, he showed up… Shot after shot, he steals a ball, he finishes with a layup. He was all over the place tonight. It was one of the best games I’ve seen him play.”
And one of the best individual scoring games in Team USA history. Alone Carmelo Anthony (37 points in the 2012 spanking of Nigeria) has done better in U.S. Olympic history. But Stephen Curry has set the scoring record for a single-elimination game at the Olympics.
