Steph Curry’s 40-point eruption was sparked by the competitive defense of 21-year-old guard Kevin Porter Jr. Although the on-court chemistry was heated, after the game Curry shared advice and a hug with the young star.
Steph Curry got his groove back Monday night when he dropped 40 on the Houston Rockets, including 21 in the fourth quarter. In doing so, the Warriors star passed late NBA legend Kobe Bryant for most 20-point quarters in NBA history since they started tracking the stat in the 1996-97 season.
For Curry, who seems to etch his name into the record books on a daily basis, breaking a mark held by the Los Angeles Lakers great is one of the "special" benchmarks.
"Man, that's nice," Curry told Warriors Postgame Live when informed of the achievement. "There are certain guys, yeah, that's special."
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After obliterating the Rockets on Monday, Curry now has 37 (!) 20-point quarters in his career, with Bryant (36) and James Harden (25) rounding out the top three.
RELATED: Steph glad Kerr skipped normal rotation as he torched Rockets
With his horrid January now behind him, Curry will look to build on his explosion in Houston, knowing the Warriors are tough to beat when he is at his best.
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“It’s the gift and the curse of the bar that you set,” Curry said. “It’s part of the nature. You get all of the praise when things are going well and, obviously, there’s something to talk about when I don’t meet that level. You try to deal with the frustration when that happens over a consistent period of time. It’s a little new, but it’s keeping me dialed in on how to still impact the game even if shots aren’t falling.
“And understand that when they do fall, we’re extremely tough to beat. We’re already tough to beat, but that’s got to be a part of us trying to win a championship.”
