Written by Satchel Price at SB nation.com
John Wall stepped up to give the Wizards one of his best performances in months, so what did he get in return? A front-row seat to the Stephen Curry show. Even with Wall at his best, the Warriors’ superstar was better with 51 points in Golden State’s 134-121 victory over Washington on Wednesday night.
Curry was an absolute machine from the opening tip off. Wall, Garrett Temple and others tried their best to make things difficult on the reigning MVP to no avail. He hit 19 of 28 shots from the field and tied a career high with 11 three-pointers. One more triple would’ve tied Curry for the NBA’s single-game record of 12, which is held by the fascinating duo of Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall.
This was what Wall tried to contend with throughout the night. The Wizards point guard hit all three of his three-point attempts, scored a season-high 41 points and dished 10 assists. He kept Washington in the game against a team that routinely crushes its opponents. On most nights, that kind of performance would be the big story. On Wednesday, it’s the footnote to Curry’s latest feat of scoring prowess.
The hot shooting started early with Curry scoring 25 points in the first quarter. He’s had five more 20-point quarters than any other player in the NBA this season, per ESPN Stats & Info. You could tell from the beginning that the 27-year-old was feeling it. Wall seemed to recognize that and up his game, but when you’re trying to go toe to toe with Curry, you’re probably going to lose.
Washington found itself in that rough place. Curry’s first-quarter outburst gave Golden State a 15-point lead that would never go away. It’s almost impossible to beat the Warriors once they’ve extended a lead and found their groove. There’s only so much to do when the opponent is nailing contested threes all over the place
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