How many times has Stephen Curry been deprived of 3-point history?

Jan. 28, 2017

If it is possible to feel sympathy for a two-time reigning MVP who already has one title and is playing with the most talented team of all-time, 2016-17 Stephen Curry was worthy of your feelings.

He was struggling physically and mentally to overcome what happened during the 2016 postseason, and hadn’t quite figured it out. The Warriors were rolling, but Curry was under 40 percent from deep through over half the season — the coldest stretch he had ever endured.

He began to find his groove during a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers (because who doesn’t), and hit nine 3s for just the second time that season (the first time, for what it’s worth, was when he hit 13, one game after hitting none).

What stood out about this night was not Curry’s final output, but the manner in which he got there. Defined by his third quarter outbursts during his rise to stardom, Phase 2 Curry tended to alert people of his flammability right away.

Given that expectation, Curry’s explosion snuck up on most in this one. Perhaps the 51-footer he hit before halftime should have been a clue, but he was just 4-for-8 from deep with six minutes to go in the third.

He then went 5-for-6 over the quarter’s final 5:55.

What would have happened next is the toughest call on the list. Would a suddenly ignited Curry knock down four or five more triples? Or was this a normal night for him, outside of his one outburst? We’ll never know, because the Warriors were up 117-74 after three quarters.