NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Perhaps only Stephen Curry could describe his basket as the first half was ending Thursday as a 鈥渞hythm shot.鈥�
Who else but the most accomplished outside shooter in history could be in rhythm when he's nearly 40 feet away and not even facing the basket?
Curry threw in the with 0.3 seconds left in the second quarter en route to scoring 40 points in , then just started running directly to the locker room so he could try to hide his surprise that it went in.
Those who have watched him for all these years weren't surprised at all.
鈥淢ost people can make that shot luckily,鈥� Draymond Green said. 鈥淲e all knew that shot was going in. That鈥檚 a different thing.鈥�
Curry already made one from just beyond halfcourt to end a first half on this road trip, when he in the opener of it. This one was closer, but seemingly more difficult.
He was standing with his feet inside the Nets' logo that extends over both sides of the center court line when he took a pass from Jimmy Butler. Curry simply spun and fired a turnaround jumper, giving Butler about as unlikely an assist as he'll ever get.
鈥淭hat one, that鈥檚 not in the practice routine, but you have an idea of where you are on the court and as weird as it might sound, it鈥檚 kind of a rhythm shot because you don鈥檛 have any other thought than just to try to get it off,鈥� Curry said. 鈥�"But it did surprise me, though. That鈥檚 why I just ran to the locker room."
The fans in the announced crowd of 18,413, the largest to see a Nets game at Barclays Center, were screaming as Curry ran off. They already had been for most of the second quarter, when he made three 3-pointers to get the Warriors almost back to even after Brooklyn ran out to a 27-5 lead.
鈥淲hen we were out there on the court, I was thinking to myself the NBA is lucky, because this man is going into every arena and putting on a show,鈥� Green said. 鈥淪ounds like it鈥檚 a home game every time he does it.鈥�
Curry said those types of reactions from opposing crowds are because of the years of winning the Warriors have done. Green chalks is up more to the performances his teammate is giving them.
鈥淚 just think that the degree of difficulty is so crazy. You can see a guy score 40 points and be like, 鈥楬e had a good game,鈥欌�� Green said. 鈥淏ut when you see him score 40 points, it鈥檚 totally different because it鈥檚 not only him scoring the 40 points, but he鈥檚 literally putting on a show. It's like you want to watch the Cirque du Soleil or something.
"It鈥檚 not your typical show you鈥檙e going to watch,. It鈥檚 a whole bunch of different acrobatics that go into it.鈥�
The Warriors are headed home now to start a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. It'll be hard for Curry to be much better than he was while Golden State was going 4-1 on the road.
鈥淪teph just had an incredible trip," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Put on a show in every city.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
