The
Golden State Warriors knew
they had a special player when they selected the former Davidson star
with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Though injuries
prevented him from breaking out initially, he has used what many
believe to be an All-Star game snub in 2013 as fuel to take his game
to new heights.
His
performance
on Wednesday night was
legendary, but there have been many others at MSG by visiting
players. Let's take a look and see where Curry ranks among the five
best by visiting opponents in the last 20 years.
Curry
picked the greatest stage in the NBA's most famous arena to show the
world what he can do. What's even more remarkable was the fact that
his performance transcended the NewYork Knicks'
narrow win over the Warriors.
His
stat line was absurd. Curry totaled 54 points on 18-of-28 from the
field, including 11-of-13 from the 3-point line, falling one short of
the NBA record shared by Kobe
Bryant and
Donyell Marshall and besting Dorell Wright's Warriors' franchise mark
by two.
The
performance is easily one of the best in the history of MSG -- and
that's a bold statement.
If
there's a list that highlights scoring prowess in any fashion, then
the Black Mamba is usually a part of it. This time, Bryant knew he
had to step up with star center Andrew Bynum out because of injury.
What ensued was a 61-point,
record-setting performance that
is yet another example of how the biggest stage brings out the best
in Bryant.
What
made it even sweeter was the fact that he was in the middle of doing
a documentary with director and noted Knicks fan Spike Lee titled,
"Kobe Doin' Work".
He
did his work that day.
The
pre-decision, pre-NBA title-winning James was a budding superstar
once, but by 2009, he had already solidified himself as the best
player in the NBA in the eyes of many. Just two days after Bryant
notched his 61-point game, LeBron seemed to respond with his own
outstanding game representing the Cleveland
Cavaliers as
if to say, "It'll be my turn soon," finishing with a
near-triple-double of
52 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds at MSG.
The
Cavs won that game, but the Lakers won the NBA title that year.
Still, James was headed for glory of his own in due time with the
Miami Heat.
Miller's
final
line of
39 points and six assists wasn't as other-worldly as the others on
this list, but the way he did considering the stage and the
implications made him an NBA legend forever.
The
setting was Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and though the
Knicks would prevail, Miller made it known that was a force in the
league. He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and left Spike Lee
speechless as the Knicks watched him make six three-pointers from
everywhere but the parking lot.
The
performance was masterful, and it set the tone for many more epic
battles in one of the NBA's greatest rivalries between the Indiana
Pacers and
the Knicks.
Fresh
off the baseball diamond and a 17-month hiatus, Michael Jordan was
sporting a new, weird number 45 with the same vintage skill set at
age 32. He finished the classic game with 55 points on 21-of-37
shooting from the field, including 35 in the first half and 49
through three frames.
He
played four games before this one, but his arrival back to the
forefront of the league
became official here.
While
that on its own merit was a masterful feat, what he did at the end of
the game will live on forever in the annals of NBA history. With 4.8
seconds remaining, he rose up like so many times before for what
appeared to be the game-winning shot attempt only to fire an overhead
pass to a wide-open Bill Wennington.
Jordan
always had a flair for the dramatic, and this was a prime example.
Source: yahoo
Bathroom
renovation?? Need some help? Just visit Bathmaster
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.