Steph Curry admits he was chasing Mavericks' Klay Thompson during explosive performance

Curry got close to making NBA history on Tuesday night.

Dec 15, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) defends against Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stephen Curry had an explosive performance for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, going for 52 points on 12 three-pointers in a big win over the Memphis Grizzlies, moving the Warriors up to 5th in the West. He had 45 points and made 11 threes through three quarters, putting him within striking range of the NBA record for most made threes in a game, but ultimately fell a little short.

🚨 STEPH CURRY MASTERCLASS IN MEMPHIS 🚨

🍳 52 PTS
🍳 12 3PM
🍳 10 REB
🍳 8 AST
🍳 5 STL

A stellar performance from the Warriors superstar as he propels GSW to the #5 seed in the West! pic.twitter.com/fGYztIWpJu

— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2025

His former Splash Brother, and current Dallas Maverick, Klay Thompson holds the NBA record for made three-pointers in a game, hitting 14 against the Chicago Bulls in 2018. So, was Curry thinking about his former teammate while the game was going on?

READ MORE: Miami Heat champion details locker room meltdown during 2011 NBA Finals vs. Mavericks

Apr 1, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

"That was the first two threes [attempts] of the fourth quarter; I definitely was thinking about Klay in Chicago," Curry said on "Warriors Postgame Live" after the game. "This is as close as I've been with that amount of time left. But then after that, reality check. We got to win the game, so you don't want to sabotage anything."

Curry has brushed up against Thompson's record a few times, hitting 13 threes in a game against the Pelicans in 2016, and has hit 12 two other times outside of Tuesday's game, including a little over a month ago against the Orlando Magic. But for now, Thompson's record will continue to stand.

Thompson has also brushed up against his own record, hitting 12 threes twice in a span of 16 days with the Warriors in 2023. He hasn't been quite that lethal with the Mavs, capping out with a season-high of seven three-pointers against the Warriors in November, but he has still provided valuable spacing for the team when they've been healthy, which hasn't been often.

In his first season with the Mavericks, Thompson has averaged 14.3 PPG while shooting 39% from three. It hasn't been quite the season he imagined when he signed with a team coming off a trip to the NBA Finals, but he remains in the team's plans moving forward around Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Luka Doncic trade to Lakers will have ripple effect

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