SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry stood at the free-throw line with six seconds remaining and the chance to make history, clinch a come-from-behind victory and silence the deafening roars of the opposing fans.
Curry could not stop smiling. This was his element and he loved it.
The 37-year-old point guard drained two free throws to cap a late rally and Golden State outdueled Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 109-108 on Friday.
Curry scored 31 of his season-high 49 points in the second half as Golden State improved to 1-1 in the NBA Cup.
Wembanyama had 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 38 minutes, but San Antonio fell to 1-1 in West Group C.
Wembanyama used his 8-foot wingspan to implore the Jackals, the fan group he created, and the sellout crowd to raise the volume in the Frost Bank Center as Curry prepared to take his first free throw with the Spurs leading 108-107. Curry welcomed the jeering.
“Absolutely,” Curry said. “It just keeps you engaged. I’m aware of everything, so it’s pretty fun. I like the free throws at the end of the game. You’ve got to find something to take the nerves out and for me, that’s just embracing the moment, smiling and having a good time. When he started that, especially with their fan, whatever you call them, fanatics, they got up there in the stands right behind the basket. I kind of wanted to acknowledge it, not that it surprised me, so I played into it. Thankfully, I made them.”
One day after announcing an end to his 13-year business partnership with Under Armour, Curry continued to trample his opponents under foot.
Curry donned a pair of Kobe Bryant’s “Mambacita” Nike Kobe 6 shoes during warmups before changing into his own Curry Brand for the second of a two-game set in San Antonio.
“I thought about Kobe a lot and that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself what it means,” Curry said of the shoes that honor the late Kobe and his daughter Gigi Bryant. “Other than that, just something I wanted to take advantage of in that moment and pay tribute. I think it gave me some good energy.”
Saying the business split with Under Armour was “in the best interest of both parties,” Curry entered free agency with his shoe and apparel brand. He demonstrated he is still a wise investment.
Curry tied Michael Jordan’s record for the most games with 40-plus points after turning 30 years old at 44.
Curry had 46 points in leading Golden State to a 125-120 victory over San Antonio on Wednesday.
“That’s pretty cool,” Curry said of the record. “Just from an individual acknowledgement, perspective, just to be able to be in that type of company. Longevity is something I pride myself on, so that was pretty cool.”
Playing in his third game since missing three games with a lingering illness, Curry played the entire third quarter Friday against the Spurs. He had 17 points in the quarter, going 4 for 8 on 3-pointers.
“It’s good to see him out there with his normal run, his normal jog, his normal bounce, his normal rhythm,” Warriors guard Gary Payton II said. “He’s not sick anymore. Once he gets it going, we just try to find him, try to get him the ball to make it easy for us.”
It wasn’t that easy for Curry as he traded baskets with Wembanyama.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr received a technical foul after Jimmy Butler was whistled for pushing Wembanyama out of bounds on a loose ball. Wembanyama made all three free throws to give the Spurs a 92-82 lead with 7:25 remaining.
Curry then scored 14 points in the final 7:12 to rally Golden State in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game in San Antonio.
“We didn’t take away what we should have,” Wembanyama said of Curry’s stellar shooting.
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