No matter their record, especially on the road, no matter their seed and no matter the extenuating circumstances – such as a Game 7 in Sacramento – the Golden State Warriors still have Stephen Curry.
And with Curry, the Warriors always have a chance.
The All-Star guard scored a game-high, personal playoff career-high and record-setting 50 points as sixth-seeded Golden State eliminated the third-seeded Sacramento Kings with a 120-100 victory in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Curry became the first player in NBA history to score at 50 points in a Game 7, surpassing Kevin Durant’s 48 points against Milwaukee in 2021.
NBA PLAYOFFS:Second-round scores, schedule, times, TV info, predictions
Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules
SUNDAY:Butler powers Heat past Knicks in Game 1 of Eastern conference semifinals
The Warriors, the defending champions, will play the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals. That series begins Tuesday in San Francisco (10 p.m. ET, TNT).
Golden State ended Sacramento’s fantastic season. The Kings finished 48-34 in the regular season, their best record since 2004-05 and their first playoff appearance since 2006. The Kings shot just 37.5% from the field and 25.5% on 3-pointers.
The Warriors were just 11-30 on the road during the regular season, but in the first round, they won Game 5 and Game 7 in Sacramento.
RECAP:Scores from every first-round series in the NBA playoffs
Curry proved too much for the Kings who lack playoff experience. Curry had 10 points in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 14 in the third and 16 in the fourth. As Golden State began to pull away in the fourth quarter, Curry made a 3-pointer putting the Warriors up 100-83.
He was 20-for-38 from the field and 7-for-18 on 3-pointers. He also set an NBA record for most career 3s in Game 7s and now has 27, ahead of Ray Allen’s 22.
Andrew Wiggins had 17 points, and Kevon Looney had 11 points and 21 rebounds for Golden State. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
