Stephen Curry and LeBron James fought an epic battle Saturday night, but it was the Los Angeles Lakers who defeated the Golden State Warriors 145-144 in double overtime.
Curry scored a game-high 46 points on 17-of-35 from the field. He made nine 3-pointers. He even put the Warriors up by one point with less than 5 seconds to play in the second overtime period. But with 1.2 seconds remaining, James was fouled and sank the go-ahead free-throw.
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Nick Corey)
The superstar sharpshooter was clearly disappointed as he left the court. Crypto.com Arena cameras captured Curry tearing his jersey in anger as he walked toward the locker room.
Curry also expressed frustration with the officiating. The Warriors shot only 16 free throws while the Lakers took 43 free throws.
“You want to be in a place where the players decide the game or it’s consistent on both ends of what you’re saying,” he said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “…There were probably three plays I was involved in where it was clearly a bad decision.”
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James after a loss during the second overtime against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Nick Corey)
Speaking to reporters after the game, Curry reflected on his rivalry with James.
“Every year we get to do this, the back-and-forth battles, all the finals races, last year all the way to the playoffs, there was a little bit of a laugh after the horn tonight, we can’t imagine a scenario where a match like tonight The game happens, his year is, what, 21, and my year is 15,” Curry said of James. “All the other guys in the league who have been doing this for 15-plus years, KD (Kevin Durant), CP (Chris Paul), this is crazy.
“You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect to continue doing what you’re doing at this level because only a few people know how hard it is. I’m happy to be in that group. “
James, who was 36, also reflected on this moment.
“It’s something I’ll be able to talk about with my grandchildren, talk about being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” James said. “So hopefully I’ll definitely be able to be cool with my grandkids at that time.”
The Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski high-fives fellow guard Stephen Curry during the Los Angeles Lakers game on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Nick Corey)
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Golden State lost its sixth of its last eight games. The Warriors are starting to slide down the Western Conference standings. They are 19-24 and in 12th place.
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