Stephen Curry Catches Fire for 36 Points In Generational Olympic Semifinal
As Team USA faced off against Serbia earlier today, it was apparent from the jump that their opponent wouldn’t go quietly. The Serbian squad, led by reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, had themselves an incredible 1st quarter: They buried 5 of their 9 three point attempts, and their jumpers landing was a trend that would hold to the final buzzer of the semifinal matchup.
Had it not been for 4 on USA, this game might’ve been over by the end of the first half.
To call this one of the best games of Stephen Curry’s career wouldn’t be understating it. The USA squad came out of the tunnel and immediately got punched in the mouth, with poor connectivity on defense and an offense that just couldn’t get going… Up until Curry got a couple clean looks. He racked up 14 points in the first three minutes to keep the game close, including a signature turn-around triple for his 9th, 10th, and 11th points.
Through most of the game, Steph was a stabilizing force offensively even when he wasn’t the one taking the shots. He posted a game-high +20 plus/minus, doing what he does and drawing plenty of defensive attention from Serbia’s defense to free up his teams for open looks. Almost all of his looks came from within the flow of the offense, often being off the catch, after a well-set screen from a teammate, or the one-dribble pump fake he’s gotten down to a science. With him on the court, Team USA had a safety valve they could turn to when things got a little rocky, much akin to the Warriors themselves have over the years.
Curry was everywhere on the boards as well, pulling down 8 rebounds which was second across the entire game behind LeBron James’s 12. He had plenty of tap-overs to his teammates on defense, and even secured one against Jokic down low on offense to keep a possession alive.
The NBA world naturally chimed in on his performance, with players like Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young all lofting praise onto the game’s best point guard. Former teammate Andre Iguodala, ever the Steph supporter, had some praise of his own, and while Draymond Green’s comments were mostly around the rotations and some of Steve Kerr’s decisions to take both him and LeBron out, the intention of showing his guy love was obvious.
It seemed like we were all waiting for a Curry game of this level, something we haven’t quite got in the Olympics, and there was no better time to get him lose than against a tough Serbian squad that did a number on the USA. To say Steph saved them for most of the contest might be underrating just how good he was at keeping them in the game: Almost all of the team’s biggest deficits came when he was off the floor. At the end of the day though, legends do what legends do, and Curry’s flurry was joined by LeBron James and Kevin Durant to take over and seal the deal at the end. Joel Embiid had an excellent game as well, making his feelings on the often-debated comparisons between him and Jokic well-known with a great performance, and Devin Booker continued his unheralded 2-way play which has been consistent through the entire Olympic gauntlet.
Team USA will play host country France after they defeated Germany prior to USA-Serbia, with NBA sensation Victor Wembanyama and his team looking to deliver on home court in what should be a thrilling environment. France has impressed so far in their run, with Wemby leading the charge alongside NBA vets Nic Batum and Evan Fournier, and will seek revenge against the USA for their loss in the gold medal game back in Tokyo.
But now that Steph’s fully found his form, this team looks even more dangerous than they did before. They’ll be ready, and we should expect a terrific conclusion to the Olympic basketball tournament in Paris on Saturday.
(Photo credit: NBAE / Getty Images)