Stephen Curry scored 41 points on Saturday night as the Golden State Warriors beat the Orlando Magic 126-119 in overtime, and in the process he moved past LeBron James in the NBA record book. The performance was Curry’s 16th game of 40 or more points since turning 35, the most in league history.
What We Know
Curry, 38, was efficient from start to finish. He made 13 of his 19 shots, went 5-for-10 from three-point range and hit all 10 of his free throws, adding six rebounds and six assists. According to Sports Illustrated, he had 36 points by the end of regulation and logged a season-high 36 minutes.
His 40th point came on a running scoop shot that put Golden State up by four with 54 seconds left in overtime, a basket that effectively sealed the game. The Warriors needed every bit of it: even though they shot 54% from the field to Orlando’s 38%, they were outrebounded 57-42 and had to work in extra time to close it out.
The 41-point night pushed Curry past James, who had held the record for 40-point games by a player aged 35 or older, according to Bleacher Report and Basketball Network. It also came less than 24 hours after Curry dropped 44 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The win extended Golden State’s winning streak to seven games. After an 0-3 start that had many analysts writing the team off, the Warriors improved to 7-3, per Basketball Network, despite playing without the injured Jimmy Butler.
Background
The record is a reflection of how unusual Curry’s late-career production has been. Sports Illustrated noted that he now has two 40-point games in eight appearances this season, after recording four in 43 games last season and three in 70 the year before. He missed 27 straight games last season with a knee issue, and head coach Steve Kerr has been managing his workload carefully, keeping him under 30 minutes per game on average for the first time in his career.
Even with those limits, Curry is averaging more than 31 points a night. Saturday’s game also brought another milestone: SI reported that he collected his 5,000th career rebound, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only point guards with at least 25,000 points and 5,000 rebounds.
James, meanwhile, is in a very different phase of his career. Sports Illustrated reported that the four-time MVP is averaging a career-low 14.8 points per game in what may be his final season. For years the two have been measured against each other, from four straight NBA Finals meetings between Golden State and Cleveland to their partnership on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Paris in 2024.
Curry’s résumé already includes four NBA championships, two MVP awards and the league’s all-time record for three-pointers made. You can read more about his life and career in our Stephen Curry biography, along with profiles of longtime teammate Draymond Green and former Warriors star Kevin Durant.
Reactions
After the game, Curry spoke about the team’s mindset following its rough start. According to Basketball Network, he said the group remembers how it was viewed early in the season and is focused on continuing to build, adding that he plans to keep giving full effort as long as he stays healthy and has the crowd and his teammates behind him.
What’s Next
With the streak at seven, Golden State will try to keep climbing the Western Conference standings while Butler works his way back. The bigger question is how long Kerr can keep Curry’s minutes in check when he is playing at this level, especially with every additional 40-point night now extending a record that belongs to him alone.