Hope's a good start for Golden State

Stephen Curry is fading just slightly, but maybe there's still enough for another magical run.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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Woman With a Pearl Necklace in a Loge; Mary Cassatt; 1879

The Warriors were in Orlando, where the Magic somehow found a rhythm on offense (a rare occasion these days). It was also a night in which the Other Warriors didn’t have the range: the four starters not named Stephen Curry combined to shoot a combined 31% eFG on their 32 shots.

The Warriors usually lose these games, even if Curry, now two weeks away from age 37, has an excellent night. But sometimes he’s capable of more than that, of a legendary night, of a night few other NBA players in history have ever been capable of. Thursday was one of those nights.

That’s 56 points on 88% eFG. Add in the free throws (12/12) and it’s a True Shooting percentage of 92.5% (in other words, the equivalent of shooting 92.5% on two-pointers … for 56 points). By that metric, per Stathead, it’s the 8th most efficient 50-point game in history and the most efficient 55-point game ever, tied with a similar James Harden 56-point barrage in 2017. (Never forget what James Harden used to do.)

The key difference between the two performances, of course, is that Steph Curry turns 37 in two weeks. LeBron James’ excellent at age 40 has ruined our concept of what’s possible beyond the peak; Curry is quietly adding lots of highly flammable fuel to that problem.

So what is possible for Curry and these Warriors? How often can he bail out the Other Warriors, and how often will he need to? Those are the core questions Golden State faces on its path to simply make the playoffs first, then do something once there.