Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets was tied at 57 at the half.
The most unbelievable part? Two-time MVP Stephen Curry had gone 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range. It marked the first time since Nov. 23, 2012 — 603 games ago! — that Steph had scored zero points in a first half.
Before the game, bookmakers had set Curry's over/under for points at 30.5. In the 2019 playoffs, Curry had only eclipsed 30 points once in 11 games before last night, and after getting shutout in the first half, it looked like the streak would continue …
… and then the second half started.
Curry had a good third quarter — 10 points on 3-of-7 to help pull the Warriors within five — but he was still 21 points away from his over/under total entering the fourth.
Fast-forward to less than 2 minutes left in the game: The Warriors were up just two points and Curry had 22. And then he took the game into his own hands with this 3-point dagger…
UH OH pic.twitter.com/tG6Shhlfwg
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 11, 2019
He followed that 3 with eight consecutive trips to the free-throw line with a chance to close the game — and Steph went 8-for-8 to finish with 33 points, eclipsing his pre-game total of 30.5 in exhilarating fashion.
How clutch has Curry been from the free-throw line in the playoffs?
In the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, when the game is within six points, Curry is a 57-of-60 (95%) from the free-throw line in his postseason career. His last miss came in April 2015!
Dating back to 2000, Curry is the only player to score at least 30 second half points after scoring zero points in the first half of a playoff game.
For anyone who had Steph to go under his point total … our deepest condolences.
