3 takeaways from Steph Curry’s 49-point night in the win over the Spurs

Even in his 17th year in the NBA at the ripe old age of 37, the Stephen Curry show remains the biggest show in the league, and perhaps in all of sports. The two-time MVP was fired up in Golden State’s tight but much-needed 109-108 win over the San Antonio Spurs to secure its first NBA Cup group stage win.

Curry finished with 49 points on 9-of-17 from deep, his 44th 40-point game since turning 30, which ties him to Michael Jordan for the most 40 points in NBA history after turning 30. They needed every one of those points yes handle Victor Vembanyamwho wreaked havoc with 26 points and 12 rebounds.

With Golden State down by one, Curry knocked down two free throws to take the lead with 6.4 seconds left. On the next possession, the Spurs set up a play for De’Aaron Fox to go downhill. But Fox missed a hotly contested mid-range fader when Golden State moved Gary Payton II to All-Star point guard.

It was one of those kinds of wins that seem to mean more. Of course, with Curry battling Vembanyama, the game took on a special spirit. Size vs. Shooting. Youth versus old age. One franchise nearing the end of its dynastic streak, the other looking to start its own era. Shades of Paris game and gold medal and live high intensity basketball.

But it was also a game the Warriors absolutely needed. After a disaster earlier this week at Oklahoma that left Golden State questioning its identity, they responded with two huge wins against one of the hottest teams in the league. Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ must-win win in San Antonio to move them to 8-6 on the season.

Gary Payton II is still relevant in this rotation

Payton had a bit of a meltdown Steve Kerr’s rotation. With the emergence of second-round rookie Will Richard, who continued his strong performance with 10 points, two steals and a block, Payton played second fiddle off the bench when Kerr turned on defense and shot.

And with other players like Jonathan Cumminga and Moses Moody already capable of doing what Payton does best, his minutes have been more expendable early this season.

But Golden State needed every minute of Payton in this win over the Spurs. With his defense on Fox in the final possession, Payton hit two critical 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to give the Spurs the lead. After the game, Kerr spoke about the two-way impact of GP2.

“It’s a different feeling when Gary’s playing the way he’s been playing the last few games,” Kerr said when asked about Golden State’s improved defense, which led to 20 Spurs turnovers.

“We give him those minutes to press the ball, but also to contribute to the overall defense. He’s a great defender and obviously had some big threes.”

Kerr’s rotation will always remain fluid for players not named Curry, Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler. But if Payton can defend at a high level and hit open jumpers, the defense will give him, which is what he was able to do during the Dubs’ 2022 title run, he will play.

Golden State returns to a proven lineup

If these last two games have taught us anything, it’s that the Warriors are at their best with Green in the box. Yes, they can play him alongside Al Horford and Quinten Post, and they’ll need that in certain matchups. But the Dubs are at their best when they go for speed, shooting and versatility, and this game proved it.

When it mattered most, Kerr turned to the five-man group of Curry-Podziemski-Moody-Butler-Green, their most effective lineup last season during their 23-8 run to close the 2024-25 regular season. In 211 minutesthey boasted a 120.6 offensive rating, a 104.2 defensive rating and a +16.4 net rating.

Golden State rarely used this lineup this season as Kerr tinkered and experimented with a number of lineups. But with literally no one capable of standing a chance against Wembanyama, Kerr went with what he knows best – Green in the box, three versatile defenders and Curry leading the charge. And it worked — Green fouled Vembanyama and Curry went close to 50 points.

Kerr had reason to hesitate with this lineup. For one thing, he wants to limit the wear and tear on Green, who has struggled with the seven-footer for 82 straight games. And there were some lineups with Cummings alongside Green and Butler in the frontcourt that he wanted to see, lineups that showed promise, albeit with some awkwardness, hence the rotation change.

Golden State is still looking for its best lineup. But it’s important to note that Kerr went with this group, given the stakes of this game.

We have to appreciate the greatness of Steph Curry

You cannot take these types of curry games for granted. You just can’t. Stars rarely age this gracefully. LeBron James is an anomaly. Tom Brady was an anomaly. And Steph Curry is one of those anomalies. Golden State will never have another guy who can make three 3-pointers in less than a minute. The league will never have another guy who can bomb 30 feet after 30 feet.

What that means for the Warriors moving forward this season will be a big question mark. Even for Curry, dropping 95 points over two games is not sustainable. And if Golden State needs that score to stay afloat in the West race, it’s never going to win the country. As Butler, Green and the rest of the Dubs have played, the Dubs will need more to keep winning.

After the game, Curry talked about the conversation Kerr had with the team about everyone’s roles, drawing a rare comparison to his Chicago Bulls days with Jordan.

“You can tell (Kerr) still has that fastball if he needs it,” Curry he smiled as he spoke to reporters. “It’s important for us to have that energy. And you know, through ’82, we’re all in this fight together. He showed that out there. And whether you win or lose, it’s like you just want to have a unit and a team that’s together.”

Curry recounted how Kerr compared the Dubs to a band. The band needs lead singers, needs bass, acoustics, drummers, stagehands and even a “guy who turns on the speakers”. Everything is important, Curry took pains to emphasize.

When asked what the singer of the band Kari is like, he would not go into details, but for a night like this he answered with one of his favorites.

“I was Hayley Williams from Paramore tonight.”

Curry and his group of Warriors will look to continue their momentum in New Orleans.