5 times Stephen Curry failed to rise to the occasion for the Golden State Warriors when they desperately needed him to

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry has a plethora of accolades and is regarded by many analysts as the second-greatest point guard in NBA history. He is a marksman who changed the sport of basketball with his wizardry in shooting the ball.

However, the type of game he plays often calls for cold shooting nights and terrible games. Curry's game isn't about naturally attacking the rim and drawing fouls, so his jump shooting is bound to be off sometimes.

The closer you are to the basket, the higher your shot efficiency. Stephen Curry is a three-point specialist who attempts nearly 60% of his shots from beyond the arc. For a volume scorer who averages around 25 to 30 points per game, he attempts just four free throws a night. He cannot physically impose his will and get to the rim so when his shots aren't falling, he tends to defer to his teammates.

Naturally, over his lengthy 12-year career with several NBA playoff series and NBA Finals appearances, there are bound to be games where he came up short and couldn't deliver for his team.

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When has Stephen Curry failed to deliver for the Golden State Warriors?

The narrative that "Stephen Curry isn't clutch" is highly subjective. Just like any NBA superstar, he has shown up and sealed a win for his team while also occasionally coming up short in big moments.

Curry holds the record for the most points scored in overtime during an NBA playoff game when he erupted with 17 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA playoffs. His appearances in numerous playoff series victories against James Harden's Houston Rockets, Damian Lillard's Blazers and any other team in the West have shown us that he can get the job done.

However, he has also had some damning misses in crucial situations in the NBA playoffs. Given that he is the point guard, he is supposed to be the floor general who is always pressured with making the right decision and his shooting at times makes people believe he can make any shot.

In many games, Golden State Warriors fans have hung their heads in disappointment because they always want the superstar to deliver. But even Curry is human and has had many nights to forget.

So on that note, let's take a look at those moments and focus on five times Stephen Curry failed to rise to the occasion for the Golden State Warriors when they desperately needed him to.

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#5 Game 3 vs LA Clippers - 2014 NBA Playoffs

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the 2014 NBA Playoffs [Source: USA Today]

With the series tied at one apiece and the Golden State Warriors finally at home for Game 3 of the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs, their star talisman, Stephen Curry, came up short. Curry, a 24-points-per-game scorer in the regular season, scored just 16 points on 5-12 shooting from the field in that game against the LA Clippers.

His shots weren't falling at the start of the game so he started creating looks for his teammates. He ultimately finished with 15 assists, eight of which came in the first half. But Curry's big moment came towards the very end of the game.

Down by two points with 7.8 seconds remaining, Stephen Curry received the inbounds pass and attempted a three-pointer to win the game with 4.4 seconds left and missed the shot. Not only did Curry miss the shot, he airballed it as well due to shooting under incredible duress. The Golden State Warriors eventually ended up losing the series in seven games.

It came down to the wire in the final game of the series 👀Clippers vs. Warriors 2014 WC First Round Game 7 - 5pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/SIlKMo3hB2

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 25, 2020

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#4 Game 2 vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 2015 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals

In the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors had a 1-0 lead with another game at home. Klay Thompson was the highest scorer on the team in this game because Stephen Curry had himself a horrid night from the floor. The league MVP scored just 19 points on 5-23 (21.7%) from the field, including 2-15 (13.3%) from beyond the arc along with six turnovers.

With 10.1 seconds left in overtime, Stephen Curry took an inbounds pass and attempted a mid-range step-back jump shot. He unfortunately missed it and the rebound was grabbed by LeBron James, who was immediately fouled.

The shot was a pedestrian pull-up jumper from less than 20 feet out, a shot Curry must have attempted a thousand times in practice. But his miss further amplified Curry's horrible time in that year's NBA Finals.

2015 Finals: Game 2 - Stephen Curry's Woes - (June 9 - 2015) #NBA #StephenCurry # http://t.co/Trq83JMabJ pic.twitter.com/tyWB3kUB7Z

— Philippines Video (@PH_VideoExpress) June 9, 2015

#3 Game 5 vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 2016 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals [Source: New York Times]

After a unanimous MVP year, a 73-9 regular-season record and numerous records broken, Stephen Curry was 48 minutes away from capping off the greatest NBA season by any player in 2016. He is the only player in the 50-40-90 club to average 30 points per game, but couldn't finish the job in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

With a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, Stephen Curry struggled offensively from the floor, shooting 8-21 (38%) from the field including 5-15 (33%) from three-point range. The Golden State Warriors lost that game and it sparked the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history.

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#2 Game 6 vs Toronto Raptors - 2019 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals

This time facing elimination, Stephen Curry missed one of the biggest shots of his life in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Down 3-2, Curry got a pass from Draymond Green in the final five seconds of the game and attempted a three-pointer from the right wing. A shot he makes regularly, that specific moment was probably too big for him to handle and Curry missed the shot.

He finished the game with just 21 points on 6-17 (35%) shooting from the field, including 3-11 (27%) from beyond the arc as the Warriors fell to a defeat.

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#1 Game 7 vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 2016 NBA Finals

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals [Source: KQED]

All the things true for Game 5 of this series are the same for Game 7. This was arguably the greatest game of the decade as the 73-9 historic Golden State Warriors were up 3-1 but squandered the lead to now play a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.

The two-time MVP and only ever unaminous MVP Stephen Curry took on four-time MVP and two-time champion LeBron James. The greatest NBA season was on the line but the reigning MVP came up shorter than ever. In that game, Stephen Curry scored just 17 points on 6-19 (31%) shooting from the floor, including 4-14 (28%) from beyond the arc.

Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals still haunts Stephen Curry."I want to try to redeem myself.” ➡️ https://t.co/E427Qt7GJe pic.twitter.com/ARVkcOA1sI

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 18, 2017

The Golden State Warriors still had a chance to win the game despite Stephen Curry's poor shooting night as the game was tied with a minute left at Oracle Arena. Curry, however, registered a 3-point fourth quarter, going 1-6 from the field.

He finished the game with two assists, an obviously horrible statline for an NBA point guard. Curry turned the ball over four times, didn't find his teammates for open looks and airballed a few shots, all of which visibly broke the spirit of the fans in the arena. The Cavaliers ultimately secured an incredible comeback Finals victory.

In Games 1-4 of the 2016 Finals, Stephen Curry shot 44.7% from 3. In Games 5-7, he shot 35.7% https://t.co/HvePF5Wgbv pic.twitter.com/jZ6fx3uKOe

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) May 30, 2017