Steph and LeBron remind the sports world that the NBA reigns at Christmas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Nostalgia in the NBA is not reserved for gifts, but for the great gift that every child, teenager and adult can’t wait to see opened, warming everyone’s hearts. The past opened its doors wide on Christmas Day at the Chase Center.
Nearly two hours before kickoff between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Kerr called Steph Curry and LeBron James’ summer training for Team USA at the Paris Olympics the “thrill of their life” and referred to the two as “the standard bearers.” of our league in this generation.”
Lakers coach JJ Reddick compared the two all-time greats to what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were to the NBA in the ’80s, how Michael Jordan took the game to a new level in the ’90s and Kobe Bryant was the heir apparent in the 2000s.
Kerr even found a new equivalence in the spectacle that is Curry’s warmups, capturing everyone’s attention long before the game begins.
“They’re watching Mozart compose music,” Kerr said during his pre-match press conference. “He is the best in the world at what he does and his craft.”
Those words sounded like true as always for both Curry and James during the four quarters, the 48 minutes. Curry scored a game-high 38 points, the most on Christmas, and made a Christmas record eight 3-pointers. James had 31, the most of any Laker, and dished out 10 assists, tying the game-high with teammate Austin Reaves.
the marker ended in favor of the Lakers, 115-113despite Curry’s literal heroics at the end of the game. Basketball is a 5-on-5 game and a total of 19 players were used. One spotlight could have followed two throughout the game and no one would have complained.
“It’s always fun,” Curry said. “The competitiveness, the history, the greatness of it allows me to appreciate everything we’ve been through, all the back-and-forth battles and the fact that we’re in 2024 and we’re still doing it.
“In some ways, the games are quite electric and a must-see television situation. I love it. I know we’ve talked about it before and we’ll probably talk about it until it’s really real, you don’t know how many opportunities you’ll get to do it in this type of scenario.
“In a way you enjoy it and that’s why it was so unpleasant to lose. Simply because these are those moments that matter a little more.”
Every second, every shot mattered more than the previous 28 games. It was no surprise who took the first shot for their respective teams.
Dribbling along the right baseline, James failed to connect on a 15-foot jumper. Kerr made sure the ball was in Curry’s hands on the other side. Racing through the paint with the help of a screen from Andrew Wiggins, Curry’s night began with an easy layup. James then followed up by hitting his version of Kareem’s skyhook, and the battle had officially begun.
Many points were scored and some highlights were added to start the game. For the final two minutes of the first half, fans had no choice but to get up and raise the decibels in the arena to higher and higher levels as Steph and LeBron traded buckets.
A Curry layup was immediately followed by another from James. Two James free throws countered by a Curry 3-pointer, only for James to hit an 18-foot jumper and Curry respond by launching a step-back 3-pointer. A game started to feel more like a script.
Steph, navigating the waters of the Lakers’ weak defense to hit Trayce Jackson-Davis with a nifty pass, made it a three-point game at halftime, setting everyone up for a possible Hollywood ending in the Bay.
In the third quarter, James scored seven points, giving him 26 entering the fourth. Curry only took two shots, scoring five points, putting him at 21 heading into the fourth quarter.
A cinematic showdown was looming. James scored five points in the quarter but also added five assists. Curry was the star attraction, a Golden Globe-winning leading man whose performance it would be a sin to miss a second of.
Curry through three quarters had taken 13 shots. He took 11 goals in 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, scoring seven to score 17 points without once passing the free throw line.
Max Christie’s two free throws at the 3:26 mark put the Lakers up by 10 points. Curry in the final three minutes and 16 seconds then scored 13 points of his own, bringing the Warriors within a point with 12 seconds left and tying the game five seconds later. His shot from the right corner over James was one of the craziest shots Curry has taken in his storied career, and it says a lot about someone who has made the impossible possible on countless occasions.
“Yeah, that was ridiculous,” Jackson-Davis said. “It didn’t even look like he had it in his hand when he shot. It will surely be one of my favorites for me. I wish we could have gotten it out.
“But to see him perform at this level at his age is just ridiculous right now.”
From 31 feet on the Warriors’ next possession, Curry pulled up and surprised no one. Whistle. Steph maintained her shooting stance, kicked her right leg in the air, and slowly walked back to the Warriors’ bench, all to no avail.
“It was sublime,” Kerr said. “I’m just talking about those last two shots to get back to the tie. The one in the corner was just an insane shot. “Steph was brilliant.”
On a day when the NFL tried to sweep the NBA’s shine under the rug, Steph and LeBron reminded the sports world who reigns supreme.
Each has first-name status for those in and out of sports. One will turn 40 next week and the other will turn 37 in March. History has shown that the NBA has searched for its next faces of the league, as the leaders continue to be the biggest entertainment every time they face each other.
The search continues. Savor what’s left. What makes the game great on any given day?
Ask the man who has played the most minutes than anyone ever, surpassing the limits of what longevity means.
“LeBron and Steph,” James said. “Street.”
“That’s a good answer, that’s why we’re playing today,” Curry said in response.
Sometimes more words are not necessary. Watch it while you can.
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