Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry scored 50 points in playoff game seven against the Sacramento Kings, making him at least the second best point guard ever, behind Magic Johnson, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Curry’s season ended in the next playoff round, this historic performance was one to remember and also puts him in the conversation of being better than Johnson.

After the end of the regular season, the Warriors had one of the worst road records in the league, going 11-30. The Warriors were the sixth seed, meaning they would have to go on the road and win against the Kings, who had one of the best records 48-34, to continue their playoff run. With the Kings having the longest playoff drought in NBA history and without making the playoffs since 2007, the King players and fans were hyped to try and dethrone the defending champions. 

Following the Warriors 99-118 loss in game six bringing the series to  3-3 and a do-or-die game seven, Curry gave a motivational speech to his teammates the next day.

“If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team,” Curry said. “No matter if you play zero minutes or 40 minutes. You’re making a commitment to do whatever it takes.”

According to Draymond Green’s podcast, the Draymond Green Show, the Warrior’s power forward normally gives a speech to his teammates after the game but with the ugly game six performance, Curry gave it instead. The message from Curry, who isn’t typically a vocal guy, to the team got everyone to focus in and be prepared for the game. 

Scoring 50 points in a game seven broke the previous scoring record of 48, set by Kevin Durant in 2021 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Fans watched Curry score 20 points in the first half and 30 points in the second half, sinking layups, midrange jumpers and three pointers.

Curry’s shooting and finishing was mesmerizing as he shot better than 50% from the field, 20-38 from the field, 7-18 from three point land and 3-5 on free throws. This is the most shots he has ever taken in a game and he made almost half of the team’s field goals. With Curry hunting for shots, his teammates did whatever they could to get the ball in Curry’s hands. 

In the playoffs, Curry has scored more points than anybody else in the fourth quarter this year. His 16 points in the fourth quarter against the Kings helped give them the dominant 120-100 win, leaving Kings players and fans in dismay.

The win led to a match-up with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals, marking the first time Curry and Lebron James met in the playoffs outside of the finals. No matter how the rest of the quest for a championship unfolds, Curry affirmed his greatness in the way he inspired his team and dominated the court.