SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 The frustration seethed in Stephen Curry<\/a>. Until it boiled to the surface. Until he let out a roar. Until he ripped his jersey from the collar to the 30.<\/p>\n He\u2019d scored 46 points on 35 shots, getting the benefit of just three free throws in his 43 minutes. He hit the game-tying layup at the end of regulation. Inside the final minute of the first overtime, he forced a turnover and then hit a massive corner 3, setting up the game-tying 3 from Klay Thompson<\/a> that kept the Warriors<\/a> alive. Then in the second overtime, Curry\u2019s final points of the night came on a 26-footer from the top with 4.7 seconds remaining, putting the Warriors up a point.<\/p>\n He left his follow-through in the air as he backpedaled. Too spent for a more elaborate celebration. The NBA<\/a>\u2019s leader in clutch points delivered 19 more in this double-overtime affair, including 10 in the second overtime. On most nights, it would\u2019ve been enough.<\/p>\n MAMA, THERE GOES THAT MAN \u26a1\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/KsIABjnkfV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n But on the other team was Curry\u2019s partner in magnificence. His most validating and valiant foe. LeBron James<\/a>. They\u2019ve exchanged heartbreaks and hugs over the years. James, whose Lakers<\/a> eliminated Curry\u2019s Warriors from the playoffs last year, had more heartbreak to hand Curry.<\/p>\n The 39-year-old James beat a rookie nearly half his age off the dribble, blew past another young, spry athlete and powered up for a strong attack on the rim. He drew the foul and, punctuating his spectacular night, swished a pair of free throws to give the Lakers the win, 145-144. James\u2019 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists in nearly 48 minutes indicted his birth certificate for fraud.<\/p>\n They aren\u2019t winning like they\u2019re used to, both needing all they have just to stay in the race, both hoping to find crucial help to get them back to the realm of the contenders. But Saturday showed Curry and LeBron are still captivating. It will be a decade this coming February since LeBron\u2019s buzzer-beating 3 against the Warriors at Oracle in Oakland debuted \u201cThe Silencer\u201d celebration and sparked this duo into must-watch theater. All these years later, when they share a court, it\u2019s still the NBA\u2019s best theater.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something that you will truly take all in when you\u2019re done playing,\u201d LeBron James said during his on-court interview, \u201cand be able to watch with your grandkids and say that I played against one of the best players ever to play this game. Steph, after the game, came to me and said, \u2018How does it keep getting better? How do we keep getting better?\u2019 I think it\u2019s just a true testament to us putting the work in in the game, being true to the game, and the game just continues to give back to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n James, and D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/a>, made sure another close game slipped through the hands of the Warriors. But this time, it wasn\u2019t so much about what the Warriors didn\u2019t do. This loss wasn\u2019t because of a head-scratching turnover, as was the gut-wrenching loss to Sacramento<\/a> two nights earlier. Or a questionable coaching decision. Or because they fell apart against an onslaught. Or even because of missed shots.<\/p>\n Still, one of their best efforts counts as but a near-win. A tease. The Warriors are now 15-13 in clutch games with Curry (0-4 without him). They\u2019re five games below .500 and still on the outside of the postseason field. They can play as well as anyone but not win as frequently as the better teams.<\/p>\n \u201cOur whole season,\u201d Curry said, \u201cwe\u2019ve had some tough breaks, some self-inflicted wounds. Some games that obviously you should have won and there\u2019s disappointment walking off the floor. \u2026 We fought the whole way. Stayed in it even when things weren\u2019t going our way, gave ourselves an opportunity. It goes down to the last possession three or four times in regulation, both overtimes. It just shows that we really want it. We\u2019re playing with a little bit of desperation trying to change the tide of our season and just don\u2019t have nothing to show for it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n But their peak is still high enough to get intoxicated. Saturday was a gallery of their best.<\/p>\n Curry, obviously. Draymond Green<\/a> was every bit the difference maker he\u2019s always been, on both ends, and the combustible will that often burns him on this night kept the Warriors firing. Thompson was vintage in the second half after a brutal first half. His defense on LeBron, his shot-making, his competitive spirit. Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> was ready and impactful. His 22 points and nine rebounds in 43 minutes showed he can play at this level. He should even have a larger role in the offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n Head coach Steve Kerr is certain a run is coming. His Warriors are ready for a breakthrough. They\u2019ve got one more game on this homestand, against Philadelphia<\/a>, before a road trip that starts with three losing teams.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only possible if the Warriors\u2019 resolve is stronger than their jersey fabric.<\/p>\n \u201cOur guys were amazing, they were amazing,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cThe way they battled, competed, and stayed in the game. Made so many plays. Just felt like we deserved to win that game the way the guys fought. So many plays that could have gone either way. That just felt like a game that we deserved to win. As long as we keep playing the way we played tonight, then I think we\u2019re going to turn this around and have a great season. I really believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers are in the same situation, though a little closer to where they want to be than the Warriors thanks to a more stable foundation with James and an elite version of Anthony Davis<\/a>. Their best, too, looks worthy. The Warriors seem to bring that out of them.<\/p>\n But playing their best in moments, in games, isn\u2019t their problem. It\u2019s sustainability. It\u2019s the consistency and versatility of their greatness that\u2019s lacking. They can\u2019t seem to do it every night. They can\u2019t seem to summon it in multiple ways.<\/p>\n The Lakers and the Warriors.<\/p>\n Saturday conspired to conjure the greatness from both teams. A prime-time game. One of great importance to both middling squads. The Hall of Fame presence all over the floor. The appreciation for the stage, the moment, and to still be on it.<\/p>\n They delivered a thriller. They lived up to their names. Multiple times, Curry took matters into his own hands and delivered like a superstar. But this night, LeBron James had the ball last.<\/p>\n So Curry left the court overcome with frustration. With his jersey in his own hands.<\/p>\n \u201cActually makes it worse,\u201d Curry said. \u201cMakes, misses or whatever, there\u2019s an energy about what we\u2019re trying to do. So the good news is if we can keep doing that, you would like to think that you could build momentum, and that\u2019s that\u2019s what our hope is. But it\u2019s just a tough \u2026 back-to-back games at home that you play well enough to win and just don\u2019t get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\n LeBron James and Stephen Curry combined for 82 points on 60 shots and plenty of highlights in Saturday\u2019s double-overtime thriller in San Francisco. (Ezra Shaw \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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