Top 5 scoring performances by Stephen Curry against LA Lakers

Stephen Curry, a generational talent, has played his entire career with the Golden State Warriors and will likely retire with the franchise as well. He is arguably the most beloved Bay Area athlete and has put on several showtime performances over the years.

Some of the best games have been against the LA Lakers. Both franchises are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference and naturally, have had a lot of intense battles in their illustrious histories.

Stephen Curry's best games are when he faces a worthy opponent. Be it Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, it is always an honor playing at Staples Center against the Purple and Gold. The Golden State Warriors take on the LA Lakers on opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season on October 19th.

The LeBron James-led LA Lakers are a juggernaut of talent with the likes of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis and several others on the team. Curry will be without Klay Thompson and will have to single-handedly carry the Warriors against this superteam so we can expect him to rain threes left, right and center.

On that note, let's revisit some of the highest-scoring performances by Stephen Curry against the LA Lakers.

#5 April 11th, 2014 - 30 points

Stephen Curry against the LA Lakers in 2014 [Source: CBS Los Angeles]

Kobe Bryant was injured and stars Steve Nash and Pau Gasol did not lace up, so Stephen Curry took over the game. The match was close for a while but Curry pulled his team through by the end.

He erupted for 30 points on 60% shooting while recording a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 12 assists. What was mind-boggling at the time wasn't the number of assists but the quality of those dimes. Be it a behind-the-back pass while on the move or a cross-court pass off the dribble, Curry did it all.

It was his 5th career triple-double and it secured a playoff berth for the Golden State Warriors. He hilariously missed a dunk during a fastbreak but laughed it off and then sunk a three in his defender's face after his teammate grabbed the rebound.

Curry also had two steals in the game and shot 12-20 from the field, including 4-5 from three-point range, as the Warriors won 112-95.

#4 November 23rd, 2016 - 31 points

Stephen Curry against the LA Lakers in 2016-17 [Source: The San Francisco Examiner]

The post-Kobe Bryant LA Lakers knew what they were getting into when they faced Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors. The Dubs absolutely annihilated the Lakers as they won 149-106 in a 43-point blowout.

Curry, Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 85 points in less than 30 minutes each as the Warriors scored nearly 150 points in regulation. Curry dropped the highest in the trio, with 31 points on a remarkable 61% shooting from the field, including 7-12 (58%) from beyond the arc.

The LA Lakers had defeated this Warriors team the last time they played together and the latter was out for revenge this time around. Curry also recorded nine assists, five rebounds and a steal to go with his 31-point outburst in less than 29 minutes. The Golden State Warriors posted a then-franchise record of 47 assists in that game.

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Also Read: Who are Stephen Curry’s parents?

#3 November 1st, 2014 - 31 points

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson against the LA Lakers [Source: FanSided]

Stephen Curry dropped 31 points on 52% shooting from the field and he still wasn't the best player on his team because Klay Thompson erupted for 41 points on an absurd 78% shooting. The Splash Brothers destroyed the LA Lakers 127-104 at Oracle Arena as Kobe Bryant's 28 points weren't enough.

20 of Curry's 31 points came in the first half, and Thompson took over in the second. Stephen Curry scored 10-19 from the field for the game, including 3-8 from three-point range, while also grabbing five rebounds, three steals and dishing out 10 assists.

#2 May 19th, 2021 - 37 points

Stephen Curry against LeBron James in the 2021 NBA play-in tournament

It was arguably the most anticipated game of the season, with LeBron James' LA Lakers facing Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors in the 2021 NBA play-in tournament. They battled for the 7th seed in the Western Conference and it was a show for the ages.

Curry dropped threes from all over the court but James sank the clutch dagger with less than a minute remaining that won the LA Lakers the game.

Stephen Curry was simply sensational, dropping 37 points on 52% shooting while converting 6-9 from three-point range on heavily contested attempts. He was being double and triple-teamed all night as he was arguably the only reliable scoring option for the Warriors.

The Dubs led the Lakers by 13 points at halftime after a demoralizing deep three-pointer by Stephen Curry. However, the LA Lakers came back and won the game 103-100 to advance to the NBA playoffs.

Stephen Curry was under immense pressure to perform because everyone knew the LA Lakers would use their full defensive force to triple-team him. He managed to put on a show despite the heavy defense and even though the Warriors lost the game, many graded his performance as excellent. Stephen Curry also grabbed seven rebounds and made three assists.

#1 April 12th, 2013 - 47 points

Kobe Bryant tears his Achilles in 2013 [Source: NY Times]

Stephen Curry put on a show in this game but his remarkable performance was overshadowed by the legendary Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles. The world watched as one of the best players in the game walked on his torn Achilles foot and sank two free throws while enduring immeasurable pain.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors lost this game by two points (118-116) despite his showtime performance. He recorded 47 points on 17-31 shooting from the field while making 9-15 threes from beyond the arc. Curry also had nine assists, six rebounds and three steals in his highest-scoring performance against the LA Lakers.