Stephen Curry turns 30: 10 Greatest Games of his career so far

2-time MVP Stephen Curry
2-time MVP Stephen Curry

Unlike most of the rookies, Stephen Curry entered the league at the age of 21 after three years at Davidson. Even after his career took off, it took him a while to establish himself among the league's elites, largely because of his multiple ankle injuries. Once he was able to take care of his ankles (played only 26 games in the third season), then his career really took off.

He always had a beautiful stroke and was always lethal from distance. That's something he brought from his days at college but in the final season under head coach Mark Jackson, he really blossomed into one of the league's top players. These past four seasons (since the beginning of the 2014-15 season) are arguably the greatest 4-year stretch any players has had in league history.

I don't think it's a conversation anymore about whether Curry is the best shooter in NBA history or not. If you don't believe so, just take some time to go through these games of Stephen Curry's 9-year career so far and I'm pretty sure you'll be convinced.

#10 54 Points Vs New York Knicks - 27th Feb. 2013

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This was the first season, that the Curry-led Golden State Warriors made the Playoffs and Curry was really starting to repay all the trust the franchise had put in him. He averaged career-highs in points (22.9) and assists (6.9) but more importantly, he started doing what superstars do - take over games single-handedly.

And he chose the brightest stage of them all to do it for the first time - Madison Square Garden. Against a competitive New York Knicks squad, he erupted for 54 points (still a career-high) on 18-of-28 (64.3%) shooting and, get this, 11-of-13 (84.6%) on 3's. He also registered 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals while playing all 48 minutes of the game.

Despite all of his heroics, the short-handed Warriors lost by four points.

#9 51 Points Vs Dallas Mavericks - 4th Feb. 2015

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The year of his first championship.

Obviously, nobody knew they would win at the beginning of the year but the team had gotten off to a surprisingly strong start (39-8 before this game) and the team as a whole was still considered to be young and inexperienced to a certain extent.

So don't blame yourself, if you bailed on them when the Dallas Mavericks pounced on them early and jumped to a 20-point lead (24-4) after the first 7 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, for Dallas, the Warriors had two of the most lethal shooters in the league at that time in Curry and Klay Thompson.

The Warriors chipped away at the lead, each of the last three quarters and eventually cruised to a 14-point win, courtesy of 51 points from Curry. 26 of those came in the third quarter but once again the most impressive part of his outburst was his efficiency - 16-of-26 (61.5%) shooting and 10-of-16 (62.5%) on 3's.

To cap off his box score, he also had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

#8 40 P/ 9 R/ 5 A & Forces OT Vs New Orleans Pelicans - 23rd Apr. 2015

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For the first time, in a long time, the Warriors were the title favorites and the number #1 seed heading into the Playoffs (2015).

It was a huge mismatch but Golden State, battling nerves, had won the first two games against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round by a combined margin of only 17 points. In the team's first road game (Game 3), in New Orleans, they started off well but in the middle two quarters, the home team began to take control of the game.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Pelicans held a 20-point lead but the 67-15 league-leading Warriors weren't about to lay down and take a loss. The team, led by Curry's 10 points, outscored New Orleans 39-19 in the fourth quarter to force overtime and eventually come away victorious.

Mind you, the win and even forcing overtime weren't as easy as it just sounded. Curry knocked down two clutch three-pointers, the latter one absolutely ridiculous to force OT. The league MVP then contributed 7 in the extra period to ice the game and finish with 40 for the night.

It was his rough shooting (10-of-29 & 7-of-18 on 3's) that caused the team's initial deficit but he quite handsomely made up for it. He also had 9 assists and 5 rebounds to show for.

#7 40 Points on Opening Night Vs New Orleans Pelicans - 27th Oct. 2016

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Throughout the summer of 2015, the offseason after Warriors' first championship in 40 years, Golden State didn't really get the attention and respect it deserved. There was a huge population within the league that considered their run to a championship tainted, as all the teams that they faced in the postseason were battling key injuries.

On championship ring night, Curry seemed determined to shut out those voices. Against their first-round opponents from the 2015 Playoffs - the Pelicans, he exploded for 40 points, 24 of which came in the first quarter. He also added 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals as he ensured the team cruised to a 16-point win on opening night.

This game was the beginning of what would go on to be one of the greatest single-season performances by any player in NBA history.

#6 43 Points, 25 in the 3rd Q Vs LA Clippers - 27th Jan. 2017

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In the offseason of 2016, coming off their tremendous collapse in the Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors added Kevin Durant as a free agent. Fit wise, it seemed a match made in heaven and although they did have a few games where they looked out of sorts, a majority of the time they dominated the league.

The 28th of January 2017 was one such night, where they made a mockery of their favorite punching bag (off late) - the LA Clippers.

Golden State absolutely destroyed their opponents in the middle two quarters, outscoring them 86-52 with Curry exploding for 25 in the third quarter. If the outburst wasn't enough, once again, his shooting percentages were insane - 15-of-23 (65.2%) shooting and 9-of-15 (60%) on 3's. He also had 9 rebounds and 6 assists to show off for on his box score.

#5 46 Points, 10 3's & 73 WINS Vs Memphis Grizzlies - 13th Apr. 2016

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Curry tipped the season off with 40 points and capped it off with an amazing 46 points against a slumping and shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies.

This game had more significance to the team than Curry but that didn't stop him from putting up another stellar showing for the fans assembled at Oracle Arena. This was the Warriors' 73rd win of the season, an NBA regular season record overcoming the 72-10 set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

Golden State seized control of the game right from the first quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 37-23 led by Curry's 20 points. He finished the game with 46 points, highlighted by 10 3-pointers on 52.9% shooting. Other amazing stats from his box score were 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in 30 minutes of play.

#4 46 Points & NBA Record 13 3's Vs New Orleans Pelicans - 7th Nov. 2016

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It's not often that the greatest shooter in league history, shoots 0-of-10 from beyond the arc but that's exactly what happened when the Warriors were blown out by 20 points at the hands of the young Los Angeles Lakers in early November. But superstars know exactly how to bounce back, and Curry (a 2-time MVP at this point) rebounded in historic fashion.

Prior to this game, Curry had knocked down 12 three-pointers once and thrice he put up 11 3-pointers but he had never broken the record for most 3-pointers in a single game (12).

He registered 46 points for the night, 39 coming off an NBA record 13 3-pointers. While he also had 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, yet again his efficiency steals the cake. He made 16 field goals on 26 attempts (61.5%) while making his 13 3-pointers on just 17 attempts (76.5%).

#3 51 Pts, 11 3's (7 In 1st Q) Vs Washington Wizards - 3rd Feb. 2016

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During the 2015-16 season, Curry had displayed his magic all over the country and he didn't disappoint the Capital city of Washington D.C. On any other night, everybody will remember John Wall's 41 points but Curry was too good to allow any other headlines to float around.

He detonated for 51 points on an exceptional shooting efficiency - 19-of-28 (67.9%) field goals and 11-of-15 (73.3%) from long range. Those numbers still don't tell the entire story. Curry shot 13-of-14 field goals in the first half for 36 points, 25 of which came in the first quarter. Yes, you read that right, he only missed one field goal in his best first-half performance of the season.

Ideally, his points tally should have been enough to seal the deal but he also contributed with 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists.

#2 40 Points, 17 In OT [The "I'M BACK GAME"] Vs Portland Trail Blazers - 9th May. 2016

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While Curry's 2015-16 regular season was one of the best ever, his 2016 Playoff campaign didn't exactly go according to plan. In Game 1 of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, he tweaked his right ankle in the second quarter which forced him back to the locker room. He returned after sitting out eight days (two games), where the Warriors went 1-1, but his return in Game 4 of the series didn't turn out too well either.

In Game 4 of the same series, he slipped on a wet spot, spraining his right knee in the process. He was forced to sit out once again, this time for 14 days. He returned in Game 4 of the team's second-round series with the Portland Trail Blazers slated to enter the game off the bench. Yes, you read that right - off the bench.

In 37 minutes of play, he scored 40 points, 17 of which came in the deciding extra period. Teams don't often combine for 17 points in the overtime period but Curry went ahead scored that tally all by himself, outscoring the Blazers by himself (17-14). His shooting numbers do look rough - 16-of-32 (50%) and 5-of-16 (31.3%) - but he contributed in every other way possible - a near triple-double with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

#1 46 Pts & Insane GAME-WINNER Vs Oklahoma City Thunder - 27th Feb. 2016

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It shouldn't come as a surprise that the No.1 game on this list is from Curry's unanimous MVP season. En route to 73 wins, the Warriors were hardly challenged that regular season but there was one team that was capable of negating almost all of their advantages - the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the season series between these two teams was swept by the Warriors, the three contests were only decided by a combined margin of 26 points.

Their most competitive battle came on February 27th in Oklahoma City, where the two teams needed an overtime period to settle the game.

Golden State needed every one of Curry's 46 points, the final three being the game-winner that he heaved from near half-court. In this game, Curry tied the NBA record for most three-pointers in a game with 12. His box score had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals but his shooting percentages were the most impressive part of the game - 14-of-24 (58.3%) and 12-of-16 (75%).

Actually, WRONG. the most amazing, insane part of the contest was Curry's GAME-WINNER.

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Edited by Yash Matange