Stephen Curry is not a immune to pressure.
You can forgive yourself if you thought otherwise. Even as he’s struggled during these NBA playoffs, seldom piecing together entire games of trademark Stephen Curry basketball, he has always seemed to come up big when it matters most.
The end of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. All of Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Even at less than full strength, he’s just been there, maybe not exactly when the Warriors first need him, but most definitely before it’s too late.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night is no different. The Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 and have the chance, again, to close out their second straight victory. And Curry feels the pressure, the need, to get it done now rather than facing another Game 7, per AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today:
For sharpshooting superstar Stephen Curry, though, that one-game cushion does’t matter. When asked during Wednesday’s practice if Game 6 will be the most important game of his career, particularly given the fact that he hasn’t played to his full potential in the series, the back-to-back MVP was forthright.
“Yeah, we have a chance to win a championship, so definitely the biggest game, and I’m ready for it.”
It’s tough to argue with that logic, though one could certainly take the stance that, because he isn’t facing elimination, Curry has encountered bigger games. But Game 6 is definitely up there. He needs a strong showing to once again silence the doubters and skeptics and those who insist on ignoring or discrediting his greatness.
In a way, Curry has started to get a taste—a minor one, mind you—of the insane standards to which many of us hold LeBron James. And there is no escaping that microscope, only living up to impossible expectations—something Curry, admittedly, has done many times before, but most certainly needs to do now.
