Steph Curry

In securing a win that left his Golden State Warriors just a half-game back of the Los Angeles Lakers’ No. 9 seed, Stephen Curry found that the recipe was quite simple when it came to shaking up the Wild West Play-In picture: merely allowing his team’s offensive possessions to play out. Having left the Lakers’ head coach to describe his Warriors as “blazing, blazing hot” in his post-game assessment, the former two-time Most Valuable Player prepares a pass attempt of equal superlative. First working an evasive dribble down the right baseline, Curry unleashes an underhanded missile just out of reach of Rui Hachimura’s panicked frame, and right into the hands of his cutting teammate for a backdoor find and selfless score. Winners of eight of their last nine, Golden State matched their scorching game-by-game streak with a historic heatwave, connecting on 26 3-pointers and NBA history’s highest single-game percentage for a team with at least 40 attempts. Leading the charge, Curry took his always-efficient ways a step further, requiring just nine shots to accumulate 23 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal, two blocks, and a perfect six-of-six from distance in April 9, 2024’s win.