Stephen Curry delivered a vintage performance, pouring in 52 points, including 12-of-20 from beyond the arc, to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 134-125 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Tuesday night. Draymond Green complemented Curry�s brilliance with a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists), while Jimmy Butler added 27 points, helping the Warriors leapfrog the Grizzlies into fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
The win improved Golden State�s record to 44-31, securing a crucial edge in their quest for an automatic playoff berth, reserved for the top six teams in the West. Memphis, now 44-32, slipped to sixth after failing to hold off a late Warriors surge despite a spirited second-half comeback.
Curry, the NBA�s all-time leader in three-point shooting, was unstoppable from the outset, torching the Grizzlies for 19 points in the first quarter alone. His 15th career 50-point game�and second this season�underscored his enduring brilliance at age 37. Warriors coach Steve Kerr marveled at his star�s display: �Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity�it�s incredible to watch Steph at work.�
Memphis interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, in his first week since replacing the sacked Taylor Jenkins, admitted his team�s strategy to limit Curry�s three-point looks unraveled early. �He found a way to get going anyway,� Iisalo said. �Once he gets into that zone, it�s very difficult to stop the best movement shooter of all time.�
The Grizzlies trailed by as many as 17 points in the first quarter but clawed back, briefly taking a four-point lead with under four minutes left, fueled by Ja Morant�s 36 points and Jaren Jackson Jr.�s 22. However, Curry and the Warriors responded decisively, reclaiming control to seal the win. �Everybody�s hurting in that locker room right now,� Iisalo said. �It hurts when you come up a little short, but that�s sports.�
Elsewhere in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo�s 37 points powered the Milwaukee Bucks to a 133-123 win over the Phoenix Suns, snapping a four-game skid. Devin Booker�s 39 points couldn�t prevent Phoenix from a fourth straight loss, dropping them to 11th in the West (35-41) and jeopardizing their playoff hopes. The Suns now trail the 10th-placed Sacramento Kings (36-39), with the 7th-to-10th seeds headed for the play-in tournament.
In the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers clinched a playoff spot after the Atlanta Hawks fell 127-113 at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. The result locked in Indiana�s top-six finish, with their 44-31 record placing them fourth in the East.
For the Warriors, Curry�s heroics have them firmly on track for the postseason, while the Grizzlies lick their wounds and regroup for a tight race in the West. As Kerr put it, �I can�t believe he�s still doing this at this age�but he�s still got it.�
