The Golden State Warriors toppled the New York Knicks 105-96 at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, rising to 23-5 on the year as Steph Curry broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in the history of the game.
It didn’t take Steph long Tuesday night to do what everyone in and around the game of basketball has been talking about for two weeks now.
After admitting he suffered from some anxiety surrounding breaking the record over the past few games, Steph got to it quickly against the Knicks in MSG, knocking down his first attempt from distance to tie Ray Allen for most 3’s all-time. Some three minutes later, Steph ran through a broken-down screen and caught a pass from Andrew Wiggins 28 feet from the basket before absolutely wetting in Alec Burks’ eye, setting the new record and sending the entire arena into a frenzy.
H I S T 3⃣ R Y
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 15, 2021
Stephen Curry is officially the greatest shooter this game has ever seen 👏 pic.twitter.com/BmEhQFcJDH
As soon as the Knicks inbounded the ball, PF Kevon Looney took an intentional foul at mid court and Head Coach Steve Kerr called timeout as a mini-celebration ensued and the crowd full of Knicks fans continued to erupt.
After embracing a handful of his teammates and coaches, Steph embraced his father, Dell Curry, who was sitting courtside, before sharing a moment at mid court with Ray Allen, the previous record holder, as Curry seemed to get swept up in his moment.
“It was a special atmosphere,” Curry told reporters in his postgame press conference in reference to being in the Mecca of basketball on this historic night. “I knew the Garden would deliver, in terms of how iconic this place is. I can’t say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me just kinda get lost in it.”
“It felt like we were at home,” he continued. “It was a special moment for sure that I’ll appreciate and I’ll remember for the rest of my life, in terms of what it means to me to pass Ray (Allen), him and Reggie (Miller), guys I looked up to coming into the game. So, definitely special.”
The only negative from the evening was Pete Davidson’s neon-pink hoodie that seemed to be visible from every camera angle of Steph hitting his historic shot. As if he hasn't been in the public gaze enough lately, Davidson sat courtside with Chris Rock and Jon Stewart in the hideous sweatshirt.
A historic photo of Steph Curry… and Pete Davidson 😂 pic.twitter.com/BWNjjRRhDJ
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 15, 2021
Once the enormity of the moment subsided, the Warriors went back to work, whittling away at the Knicks’ spirit with their #1 ranked defense until pulling away in the third quarter and never looking back.
Curry finished the night with 22 points on 8-of-19 from the field and five 3s, increasing his career total to 2,977.
Jordan Poole rounded out the box score with 19 points of his own, going 13-for-13 from the charity stripe. Poole has been a bright spot for the Warriors so far this campaign and is a contender for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this season, helping to fuel the team's current success in the absence of star and teammate Klay Thompson.
What’s partially so impressive about Curry’s historic night is less-so the volume of made 3s but the speed in which he’s reached this milestone, eclipsing Ray Allen’s record with 511 less games played.
“I know I’m blessed to have overcome early career injuries and all that type of stuff, and been able to experience a lot in this game already and want to experience a lot more,” Curry told the media sporting a black hat that read ‘2974 & Counting’ in gold on the front, “but the bar that was set by Ray and the fact that I could get there in the amount of games that I did and shoot the percentage that I did, that’s something that I’m really proud of, cause all of the work that goes into it and the belief that you can continue to get better every single year.”
“The record is special and we’ll see how far I can push it,” Curry explained, “but the combination of both of those things and how quickly it happened, and me owning that journey myself, that’s special.”
The truth of the matter is that Stephen Curry is far from done, with many people close to the sport holding firm in the belief that Steph will be playing and knocking down 3’s for the next six or seven years.
It’s hard to imagine what the record might look like when he finally steps away from the game that he has irrevocably changed and left his mark on forever. Steph Curry has inspired a new generation of shooters and a new way of thinking about shooting, so it’s hard to believe his record will stand forever. However, it’s his for now, and will stand for a while.
“I never wanted to call myself the greatest shooter until I got this record,” Steph told reporters after the game. “I’m comfortable saying it now.”
For the rest of us, it’s just amazing to watch. You can catch Steph in action again next vs the Celtics in Boston this Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Top Image: Al Bello / Getty Images