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Curry shoots Warriors to 73rd win, breaking Bulls’ mark Warriors attain NBA immortality with 73rd win to break ’96 Bulls’ wins record
(35 minutes later)
OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors took their last shot at Michael Jordan and history and they swished it — for 73. OAKLAND, Calif. – With history within reach, with immortality so close he could grab ahold of it with both hands, Stephen Curry wasn’t about to let it slip away.
Down to their final chance at the record, the Warriors became the first 73-win team Wednesday night by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104, breaking what many considered an unmatchable mark set 20 years ago by Jordan’s Chicago Bulls — oh, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr, too. So, at the start of the third quarter of Wednesday night’s game between his Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies, with 24 minutes standing between him and an all-time record of 73 wins, the NBA’s transcendent talent ensured the Warriors would make history in a way only he could.
Curry achieved yet one more shooting milestone, becoming the first player to make 400 3-pointers in a season by knocking down 10 from long range on the way to 46 points and 402 total 3s. Golden State saved one last record for the closing day of the regular season, and did it for a roaring, sellout home crowd at Oracle Arena. Yet these Warriors want nothing more than to build off their remarkable run so far and ride it to another title. With a barrage of 3-pointers coupled with some dizzying drives to the rim, Curry finished with 46 points to lead the Warriors to a 125-104 evisceration of the Grizzlies in front of a sellout crowd inside Oracle Arena.
Draymond Green had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as defending champion Golden State (73-9) topped the Jordan-led 1995-96 Bulls who went 72-10. History was made on Wednesday in multiple ways. Not only did Golden State clinch the all-time wins record by beating Memphis, but Curry further cemented his status as the best outside shooter of all-time by making 10 three-pointers, allowing him to finish with 402 this season.
When the final buzzer sounded, Green bounded onto the floor and grabbed the game ball as confetti streamed down and “73 WINS” appeared on the scoreboard. [Stephen Curry grew up hoping to see Michael Jordan. Now he can surpass him.]
President Barack Obama sent a tweet that said: “Congrats to the @warriors, a great group of guys on and off the court. If somebody had to break the Bulls’ record, I’m glad it’s them.” For context, no player in NBA history had ever made 300 in a season before this year.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement, saying: “Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors on their 73rd win and the best regular-season record in NBA history. The team held itself to a high standard throughout the season, playing with purpose every night and captivating fans around the world with its free-flowing style, spectacular shooting and flair for the dramatic. Kudos to the entire Warriors organization.” It was a fitting conclusion to what has been a season for the ages for these Warriors, and for Curry himself. Golden State began the year a pristine 24-0, escaping from games against the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers that could’ve been losses, putting them on track to potentially make history.
The Warriors went for it, all right. They absolutely wanted this record, even when they could have been resting up for the next challenge: to repeat. And Curry? No doubt about it. He came out and did what he has all along during this sensational season: Let it fly from anywhere on the floor. From those opening weeks of the season forward, this team, and its pursuit of history, have overshadowed the rest of the sport. A living legend, Kobe Bryant, was making his farewell tour around the league. The San Antonio Spurs recorded the most wins in that illustrious franchise’s history. One of the game’s most prominent players, Kevin Durant, is set to be a free agent this summer – a surefire discussion starter in any season.
Curry had seven 3-pointers by halftime, then hit No. 400 just 43 seconds into the third. [The ’96 Bulls are finally making peace with the Warriors breaking their record]
Already the first player to make 300 3-pointers in a season, he knocked down six in the first quarter and three straight during one jaw-dropping stretch that included a 31-footer well behind the top of the arc. And Curry immediately began trending on Twitter. All of them were swallowed up by Golden State’s attempts to chase down Jordan’s Bulls. And, after the Warriors went to San Antonio and handed the Spurs their first home loss of the season Sunday night to improve to 72-9, it appeared the hard work had been done.
Curry shattered his own single-season record of 286 from a year ago. When he hit his 400th, the reigning MVP raised his arms and patted his chest in celebration. Golden State had one game left on its schedule, against a Memphis team that came into the game having lost 13 of its previous 16, as a litany of injuries to key players this season has finally caught up to Coach Dave Joerger and his team. But the Grizzlies played the Warriors as tough as possible in Memphis Saturday night, having the ball with the chance to win on the game’s final possession before falling short.
He made 10 of 19 3-pointers and shot 15 for 24 overall to go with six assists as fans chanted “M-V-P! M-V-P!” all evening. Klay Thompson added 16 points with four 3s of his own before Curry rested the fourth quarter and Thompson most of it. On this night, though, the challenge would be much greater. Golden State had gone 39-1 at home entering Wednesday’s season finale, and the fact the Grizzlies pushed the Warriors as much as they did Saturday meant there was no chance of being overlooked.
For all of those so-called experts who doubted the Warriors’ first championship in 40 years last June that didn’t go through San Antonio, this season might have changed their tune. Still, the opportunity to stand in the way of history was something Joerger and his team relished.
Golden State not only won nearly every night with a cool swagger and new focus on the offensive end but with a determination to be far better than during that special season. “This is an opportunity to be part of something,” Joerger said. “It’s very humbling for me, just [being] a guy out there, a guy from Central Minnesota, growing up [and getting] a chance to be a part of something like this, in this atmosphere.
From Day 1, Kerr challenged the Warriors to make big strides. “I love coaching this team, and to be part of this, they feel the specialness, too, of the moment and what it is tonight.
Already the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed heading into this weekend’s playoffs, Golden State had to get past the very Memphis team the Warriors squeaked by 100-99 four days earlier on the Grizzlies’ home floor to keep themselves in position to make history. “We’ll go out there and give everything we’ve got.”
The Warriors whipped the Grizzlies 119-69 at home back on Nov. 2, with the 50-point win the third-largest margin of victory in franchise history. The problem for Joerger and his team, though, is that when Curry and Klay Thompson are shooting like they were Wednesday night, there is no team on the planet capable of stopping them.
No champagne celebrations were planned for this focused bunch. A little less than three years ago, when this Warriors team was in the midst of beating the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Golden State’s coach at the time, Mark Jackson, made a bold proclamation about his young backcourt.
“Absolutely not. You’ve got to save that ‘til June. I mean you might have a glass of wine after the game but that’s about it,” Thompson said. “This record doesn’t mean a thing if we don’t take care of business in the postseason.” “In my opinion,” Jackson said, “they’re the greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game.”
Kerr missed his team’s 24-0 start and the first 43 games overall — Luke Walton led the Warriors to a 39-4 record in Kerr’s absence — while dealing with complications following two back surgeries. Jackson was derided by many back then, and accused of trying to overhype his own players. Instead, he’s proven to be prophetic, as Curry and Thompson now own the top four single-season 3-point totals in NBA history, and five of the top seven.
The Warriors had their NBA-record 54-game home winning streak in the regular season snapped in an April 1 loss to Boston at Oracle. Golden State finished 39-2 at home for the second straight year. And, on this night, the two of them ensured there would be no repeat of Saturday’s nail-biter.
Zach Randolph scored 24 points to lead Memphis, which lost its fourth in a row to end the season. Curry had 20 points in the first quarter alone, burying six 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes alone to move within two of reaching an unimaginable 400 for the season.
TIP-INS The game, for all intents and purposes, seemed over at that point, despite there still being three quarters left to play. But all that extra time did was allow for Curry to put on one final, spectacular show in front of his hometown fans this regular season in the third.
Grizzlies: The Grizzlies were swept 4-0 by the Warriors for the first time since losing all four meetings in 2007-08. ... Memphis lost 10 of its final 11. The Grizzlies finished 16-25 on the road, losing their last six. He opened the second half with a three-pointer from the right corner off an assist from Andrew Bogut – a shot that both got him to 400 three-pointers for the season, as well as putting the Warriors up 73-53. From there, Curry made a circus layup, buried a three-pointer and drove down the lane for a fancy finger roll to score the opening 10 points of the second half for Golden State, and officially put the game out of reach.
Warriors: Curry is the first guard since Jordan in 1991-92 to average 30 points and shoot 50 percent from the floor. ... Curry had double-digit 3s for the sixth time in his career and fourth this season. ... Splash Brothers Curry and Thompson (276) finished with 678 combined 3s. ... Golden State had its 175th consecutive sellout, matching the second-highest total attendance in franchise history at 803,436. Curry then comfortably watched the final 12 minutes from a seat on the bench next to Draymond Green, as the Warriors siphoned off the time until the clock hit zero and confetti fired into the air.
UP NEXT The playoffs are still to come, but history had been made. The Golden State Warriors, and their transcendent talent, had done the unthinkable.
Grizzlies: Visit San Antonio to start the playoffs.
Warriors: Host Houston this weekend to open the first round of the playoffs.
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