Across their many showdowns over the years, Steph Curry often has risen to the occasion when facing LeBron James.
Saturday’s contest between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, unfortunately, was not one of those days.
Curry didn’t score a single point in the second half of Golden State’s 118-108 loss to James and the Lakers, missing all eight of his field-goal attempts and four 3-point shots.
It’s the worst Curry has ever shot in a second half in his career and matches his lowest-ever mark in either half, as pointed out by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and confirmed by SportRadar.
Steph Curry went scoreless, shooting 0-for-8 and missing all four of his 3-point attempts in the second half — 7 of his 8 shots were contested.
His 0-8 is tied for his worst in a half in his career per @ESPNStatsInfo
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 26, 2025
The star shooter also shot 0-for-8 in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 5, 2016.
Curry’s shooting wasn’t an issue in the first half on Saturday, with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 2-for-5 from behind the arc. The Warriors entered halftime trailing by only a point but couldn’t overcome their leader’s second-half scoring woes in the latter periods.
“One, I just got to play better,” Curry told reporters postgame. “I had a couple of good looks, but they were trying to funnel us into a crowd, use their length, their size. It really bothered us, and any game I play like that, it’s going to be hard for us to win. At the end of the day, you got to make adjustments, find space and knock down the shots that you’re supposed to.
“I didn’t do that tonight.”
Perhaps Curry’s lingering right thumb injury could be partially to blame, though the 11-time NBA All-Star expectedly wouldn’t use it as an excuse after the game.
At 22.6 points per game during the 2024-25 NBA season, Curry’s scoring noticeably is down compared to previous seasons. In fact, his current scoring average would be his lowest in a full campaign since his second year — all the way back in 2010-11.
And with Golden State’s record falling to 22-23 after Saturday’s defeat, it will need its franchise great to find his prime form to be competitive come springtime.
