SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry waved to acknowledge the adoring fans as shot after shot dropped through the net and screamed in celebration — no trash about it.
Curry hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 56.8 seconds remaining to follow up a 30-footer less than a minute earlier, and he relished every bit of his 45-point home opener that lifted the Golden State Warriors over the Los Angeles Clippers 115-113 on Thursday night.
The reigning NBA scoring champion even secured a key rebound with 36 seconds left before calmly converting a pair of free throws with less than 5 seconds left, scoring eight points over the final 1:54.
Fans cheered Curry well after the game ended until he finally disappeared down the tunnel.
“Steph Curry was just Steph Curry, there’s never been anybody like him,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Those last two 3s were ridiculous. … I’m still blown away.”
Chants of “MVP!” began late in the first quarter, and by the time the buzzer sounded to finish the initial period, Curry already had topped his total from two nights earlier with 25 points on 9-of-9 shooting and five 3-pointers as Golden State built a 44-27 lead.
Curry wound up 16 of 25 from the floor and 8 for 13 from deep with 10 rebounds.
On Tuesday, the two-time MVP shot just 5 for 21 — making 2 of 8 3s — on the way to 21 points in a season-opening road win at the Lakers on Tuesday night in a performance that he called “trash.”
“You know Steph, when he has a poor shooting night, he’s always coming back strong,” Kerr said.
Damion Lee hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:55 remaining and scored 11 points off the bench while Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and six rebounds.
Paul George had 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the Clippers’ season opener, and Eric Bledsoe scored 22 points. Los Angeles fought back from a 19-point deficit in the second quarter to take a 67-66 lead into halftime while capitalizing on Warriors’ turnovers.
The 33-year-old Curry, who earlier in the day was named one of the top 75 NBA players of all time, dazzled in the first home game of his 13th NBA season after taking the mic before tipoff and thanking the fans for their support and patience through the coronavirus pandemic and welcoming them back to Chase Center.
He returned with 7:43 left in the second, made another jumper and finally missed a 3-point try at the 4:55 mark.
“This is going to be a great, great season back in Chase Center,” Curry told the crowd before tipoff, adding, “Can’t wait to welcome Klay Thompson back.”
Draymond Green exited in the third and headed to the locker room with a right wrist injury having missed six of seven free throws but later returned.
“He responded beautifully,” Kerr said.
This is a new beginning of sorts for the Warriors, who lost in the play-in game to Memphis, given they finally have fans back at the start of a season. The sellout crowd marked the first regular-season game at full capacity since March 2020.
“Two years ago was such a bizarre season with all the injuries and the brand-new venue. It did seem strange,” Kerr said. “Last year the whole world was strange. It does feel like a fresh start.”