Stephen Curry is defying Father Time yet again
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Stephen Curry just can't seem to slow down, echoing the sentiments from Kevin O'Connor and Tom Haberstroh on "The Kevin O'Connor Show." Curry's brilliance was front and center after he put up a staggering 56 points against the Orlando Magic. The feat occurred on a night that seemed coded into Curry's DNA.
As KOC highlighted, Curry is showing that age is but a number. Each trey was a whisper against the notion of aging, reminiscent of his 54-point performance at Madison Square Garden 12 years ago. Meanwhile, Haberstroh offered a simple yet powerful statement: "We can't normalize this, KOC." Indeed, seeing Steph's stellar performance at such an age leaves us pondering, will we ever see this level of greatness again?
Reflecting on the landscape of the NBA, KOC noted how these spectacles of endurance are unprecedented. LeBron James, at 40, continues to dominate the court.
Haberstroh chimed in with staggering stats involving Curry, LeBron and Kevin Durant — pointing out that this triad of legends has tallied more 40-point games post-35 than the entire Dream Team. "We're never going to see anything like this," Haberstroh said. It makes one wonder, at what point do we stop and truly appreciate the wizardry?
But it wasn't just raw numbers; it was the spotlight on Curry's unique ability to excel despite Father Time knocking. KOC highlighted the Warriors' savvy move in acquiring Jimmy Butler, showcasing their belief in Curry's enduring prowess.
Such performances are a reminder of the giants who came before but also fuel for speculation about the future. If today's stars can rewrite the standard of peak performances in the latter stages of their careers, it sets a new benchmark for the incoming ones.
If Curry can, why can't others? If Curry, LeBron and Durant can pull this off, who's next?
Will Father Time ever get his win? Looking at the way Steph's been shooting, don't count on it.
Catch the full discussion on "The Kevin O'Connor Show" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
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New York Times
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'Above everything else, just worrying more about impacting the game in all of the facets and just try to let that take care of itself. If you just focus on that, you're going to start putting a lot more pressure on that and you're not going to be focused on everything else that's important, too.' The Thunder used a different starting lineup in Game 1, inserting guard Cason Wallace in place of center Isaiah Hartenstein. It went away from Oklahoma City's two-big lineup featuring Holmgren and Hartenstein. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, the pair averaged 12.6 minutes on the court together. They did not log one minute together in Game 1. '… our responsibility is to be ready to execute no matter what the coaches ask us to do out there,' Holmgren said. 'In Game 1, that was to play more single-big. 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Holmgren averaged 15.0 points on 49% shooting during the regular season and averaged 16.4 points on 48.9% shooting in the first three rounds of the playoffs. To a lesser extent but still important to the Thunder's success, they also require a more efficient game from Williams, who had 17 points on 19 shots. Daigneault did not want to address their performances specifically. 'I don't think anybody played their best game,' he said. 'Certainly, he didn't play his best game, but I don't think any of us did. That wasn't our best game, flat-out, with anybody.' MORE: How Shaq 'flipped the script,' expanding fortune after retirement ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals But Daigneault also reminded NBA media that both players were drafted in 2022 – Holmgren No. 2 and Williams No. 12. They are 23 and 24 years old, respectively, starring on the youngest team to make the NBA Finals since 1954-55. Holmgren, who missed the 2022-23 season, has played in 114 regular-season games and just 27 playoffs games the past two seasons. Despite his role, he has limited experience and is in his first Finals. 'What I will say is like he and Dub, specifically, obviously they have carved out huge roles on our team,' Daigneault said. 'They are a huge reason why we're here. They are in an uncommon position for third-year players. … Usually delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players.' But, that's how the Thunder are built, and Holmgren and Williams have earned their roles as the two main scorers after Gilgeous-Alexander. You win – or lose – with what got a team to this point. 'They have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them,' Daigneault. 'And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs, which is go out there, fully compete, learn the lessons, and apply it forward. 'And they have done a great job of that. You've seen that over the course of the playoffs. They haven't always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one. The last guy I'm worried about that is Chet.' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle shared his concern: 'Chet is going to be more aggressive.' That's definitely part of the Thunder's plan to even the series. Holmgren needs to make his presence known.
