When Stephen Curry begins his morning routine leading up to what may be his biggest game on Sunday, chances are he will find time to turn on CBS and watch some golf.
You have to feel Curry, an eager Duffer, owns a green jacket – if no other reason other than fitting into the audience when a busy schedule forces him to celebrate his birthday three days after the fact – at St. Patrick’s Day.
Curry may want to replace it for a look at the Chase Center late on Sunday afternoon. No, not to honor Scottie Scheffler, Fred Couples or who wins at Augusta.
Rather to greet what may prove to be one of the most memorable basketball performance ever.
It is a mouthful, but no one would have expected a similar event when David Thompson and George Gervin woke up 1,000 miles from each other on April 9, 1978-one day when the Gary player thought he had captured the biggest headline on sports pages around the world with a remarkable coming-off-bakom victory at Masters.
Thompson woke up at a Detroit hotel the same morning and realized that he might be rested on the last day of the NBA’s regular season even though he was only 14 points behind Gevin in the race for the league’s score.
On the question at the arena if he wanted to remove the game to better prepare for the upcoming playoffs, Thompson said no – and continued to fashion a comeback even bigger than the player’s and exploded for 73 points in the latest NBA game ever played at Cobo Arena.
Did it really happen? The legend says it did, even if only 3,482 can attest it. The game’s route point-played before ESPN was even in existence and when TNT had not yet received baseball-focused TBS-found in the NBA records.
Just don’t go and look for clips on the internet, which raises the question: What did people do with their phones that day?
Unfortunately, Thompson reached the news about the performance Louisiana Superdome before Gervin could tip off his finale, which was conveniently planned at night.
Iceman answered with a 53-point in the first half and finished with 63 and claimed the title with four points and covered one of the most memorable days in the NBA’s regular seasonal history.
Could it possibly be topped on a Sunday when there is little left to be decided in the NBA? Never underestimate curry.
The reigning 3-point master is in a Thompson-Depth Hole 48 years later. He tracks Anthony Edwards by 10 in the duel to be the 2025 long distance champion.
The NBA does not plan night games on the last day of the regular season anymore. So Curry and Edwards will keep a fair fight – both tip at 12:30 Pacific, Edwards at home against jazz, Curry at home against Clippers.
I know what you are thinking … Curry would have to hit three straight holes-in-one at Amen Corner to make a 10-trip deficit in 48 minutes. Unfortunately, this head-to-head has not reached the back nine yet.
Curry gets a shot at Portland on Friday night, a Patsy that he has made nine 3 points on several occasions.
At the same time, Edwards comes from an exhausting effort in a critical victory over Memphis on the front of a back-to-back Thursday evening. He might just leave the driver in the bag on Friday in what should be an empty bench laugh at the low nets.
And that would be a big mistake. No one waves at the night night to Stephen Curry.
Come on Sunday, the basketball world will have waited almost half a century on Thompson-Gervin II. It never got to see the original.
This time will be different. Curry does things differently. All eyes will be on potential history in creation.
Here is a piece of advice for Edwards: Fore!
