Warriors Are NBA’s Hottest Team Off of Steph Curry’s Davidson-Esque Run

The Warriors are the hottest team in the NBA, winners of seven straight after dropping their first three games of the year. Golden State’s success relies on Steph Curry, who extended his team’s win streak on Saturday with a 41-point outburst in an overtime win over the Magic.

Curry has two 40-point games over the streak and he’s averaging 33.8 points over six games (he was out for Golden State’s win over the Clippers last Sunday, the front end of a back-to-back). Now 38 years old and in his 18th NBA season, his health has to be managed. He missed considerable time last season as he dealt with runner’s knee, an issue that’s resolved but will still be managed this season because of how crucial he is to the Warriors’ success. In the win over Orlando, Steve Kerr started overtime with Curry and Draymond Green on the bench after the superstar guard dropped 14 points in the fourth quarter.

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The Warriors escaped with seven overtime points from rookie sensation Yaxel Lendeborg. Curry added five once he entered with just under four minutes left. Curry’s 41 points gave him his 16th 40-point performance since his 35th birthday, the most of any player at age 35 or older. He’s done this for nearly two decades since he first emerged as a national name with his magical run at Davidson to the Elite Eight of the 2008 NCAA tournament.

CHEF CURRY IN CRUNCH TIME 🧑‍🍳

STEPH DROPPED 19 OF HIS 41 POINTS IN THE 4Q AND OT LAST NIGHT 🤯

GOLDEN STATE WINS THEIR SEVENTH STRAIGHT! pic.twitter.com/PgyDZAUhlO
— NBA (@NBA) November 8, 2026

Since then, he’s taken a firm grasp on the title of the greatest shooter ever and has dazzled us at every step of the way. Although his career is in its final chapters, the book isn’t close to finished. He’s the best show in the NBA, still doing the same thing he has for 20 years.

How does Steph Curry’s current run compare to his best stretches ever?

Throughout Curry’s career, he’s shattered records, won MVPs, championships and changed the game in the process. In between, he’s had some incredibly memorable runs. He’s currently in the midst of one of those special stretches, which has taken the Warriors from a preseason afterthought to the hottest team in the NBA. He’s doing it efficiently, too, as he’s connected on a whopping 44.7% of his 10.6 three-point attempts per game this season.

He’s special, we know that. But the fact that he’s mixed his greatness with incredible longevity is even more impressive. Here’s a look back at some of Curry’s hottest runs, compared to the wild run he’s on right now:

The Steph Curry run	No. of appearances	Points per game	Three-point percentage
Warriors seven-game winning streak (current)	6	33.8	48.5%
2008 NCAA tournament (Davidson)	4	32.0	44.2%
2015 NBA playoffs (first title)	21	28.3	42.2%
February 2016 (best stretch in unanimous MVP, 73–9 season)	10	36.7	53.6%
2017 playoffs	17	28.1	41.9%
April 2021 (Curry’s best scoring run)	15	37.3	46.6%
2022 NBA Finals (Warriors over Celtics)	6	31.2	43.7%
Semifinals and finals of Paris Olympics	2	30.0	65.4%

Each of those runs have memorable moments baked within. His 40-point game with eight threes to take Davidson past Gonzaga, all the “night, night” celebrations and shimmies after shots so good you can only laugh. He’s proved that no matter how much time goes by and how much rosters change, Steph is still Steph. That’s good news for the Warriors who didn’t have the flashy offseason other NBA teams did.

What Steph Curry’s continued brilliance means for the Warriors this season

After opening the season with losses to the Lakers, Grizzlies and Suns, the Warriors are on a tear. Golden State has won seven in a row with one of the best offenses in the league, primarily thanks to Curry who’s scoring more than anyone besides Luka Dončić. The Warriors’ offensive rating of 116.7 ranks fifth in the NBA behind the Lakers, Rockets, Trail Blazers and Spurs. They give up a lot of points with just one game where an opponent was held under 100 thus far.

When Curry’s cooking like this, though, nothing else matters. His supporting cast has been good, too. Lendeborg looks like a true second scoring option and he competes on defense no matter the assignment. Green doesn’t bring much on offense anymore, but he remains an extremely versatile defender who plays a big role on both ends—just not with putting the ball in the hoop. Brandin Podziemski has made shots which gives Curry a sliver of more space. Plus, offseason signings like Brandon Williams, Georges Niang and Charles Bassey have been good.

Those contributions are huge as Jimmy Butler continues to recover from a torn ACL along with Kristaps Porziņģis’s decision to step away from the NBA amid longstanding health issues. The current roster may not be enough to take the Warriors through the playoffs and have a legitimate say in the title race. However, if Curry continues at his current pace, he can keep the team afloat until Butler returns or a trade is made to replace Porziņģis’s $20 million salary with a contributor.

Over the win streak, Golden State has solid wins over its Western Conference competitors like the Lakers, Timberwolves and Nuggets. Plus, the Warriors beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat and survived against Orlando in overtime on Saturday. They have big tests this week against the Rockets and the Spurs. We’ll see if Curry’s big run and Lendeborg’s emergence stands up against the class of the West.

At 7–3, though, the Warriors have to be taken seriously. As long as Curry’s around and healthy, they won’t fade away.

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