Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry rose to the occasion on the night in which he set the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in the season.
Besides breaking his own mark, set two seasons ago, what else was amazing about Curry's performance?
1. Curry scored 45 points on 17-of-23 shooting, including 8-of-13 from 3-point range. Curry shot 73.9 percent from the field, the best he's ever shot in a game in which he took at least 20 shots. And when you combine that shooting 8-of-13 from 3-point range is the equivalent of shooting 12-of-13 on 2s, Curry's effective field-goal percentage was 91.3 percent.
2. The Elias Sports Bureau noted that Curry is the first player in NBA history to score at least 45 points in a game in which he took fewer than 25 shots and five or fewer free throw attempts.
3. The quirkiest record of the night was this one: Curry tied Kobe Bryant for the most games of 45 points and at least eight 3-pointers. Each of them have had four.
4. In the battle of elite point guards, Curry crushed Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard.
Curry scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting when Lillard was his primary defender; Lillard scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting with Curry as his primary defender.
Curry scored or assisted on 65 points, his most points responsible for in a game this season. Curry scored 19 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter on 7-of-7 shooting. Lillard was 2-for-6 in the fourth quarter and finished with 36 points created.
