Curry, after rebounding an Elfrid Payton miss of an Andrew Bogut punch-out rebound, decided to run the floor and take the game over himself. Another trait of brilliance, as Steve Kerr put it, is Curry in the open floor. Recognizing the situation, both Kerr and Curry opted against the timeout and let greatness reign supreme.
“Well, I missed two in a row so I was due,” Curry said. “This was a crazy game, one we probably shouldn’t have won the way we were playing and the way they were executing on the offensive end. We stuck to it and kept our energy up the last four minutes and obviously Klay [Thompson] hit some huge shots, Draymond [Green] got some huge offensive rebounds and key stops down the stretch.”
Over the course of an NBA season, a team will lose games in a multitude of ways. On the contrary, teams have certain identities that might not allow them to win in different ways. Elite teams find ways to win when they shouldn’t. It bears repeating, because if this team is truly in the class they wish to become, this unique trait needs to become a staple, not a rarity.
Most recently, during this impressive 10-game winning streak, wins in Oklahoma City and Charlotte stood out not because they won, but how they did it. It was the heroics of one Mo Speights in those two wins. Tuesday night, it was Curry, who can now add a game-winning three to his MVP resumé this season.
This team isn’t a one-trick pony anymore. With an evolving system, Curry and Thompson don’t have to shoot well for this team to win. Of course, they’re at their best when both are hitting and creating for others of the threats they possess. But it’s a fantastic sign for this team’s championship aspirations that even against the Magic, they prove this isn’t the same Warriors team.
15-2 with another MVP candidate coming into town, more challenges await. Even with the winning streak and only two losses on the season, they sit as the #2 seed in the Western Conference. This team can’t afford to win the same way anymore. Luckily for them, finding ways to win is starting to become the norm.
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