The Unforgettable Thunderclap: A Game for the Ages
It felt like a playoff crucible, not a late February regular-season clash. The Golden State Warriors, en route to their record-setting 73-win season, faced their biggest challenger, the Oklahoma City Thunder, featuring Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The stage was set for an epic showdown, and Stephen Curry delivered a performance that transcended mere basketball.
Breen’s Legendary “Double Bang”
Double martini, double cheeseburger, double Jeopardy, doubles are usually a good thing. And then there was the double that defined a moment:
“Bang! Bang!”
Mike Breen, the play-by-play voice of ABC’s NBA coverage, couldn’t contain himself while calling this game 10 years ago. This was not just any player or any shot. It was Curry’s signature 3-pointer to cap an overtime thriller, a shot so memorable that Breen had to double his usual exclamation.
Breen later reflected on the moment: “That was an out-of-body experience. I can’t explain that. It just happened. Because that was the year that everything was falling into place for them. It was that magical run. He was as good as anyone has ever played from long distance … they had this amazing winning streak, and it was (seemingly) all over. And then he comes down and does that at the end. So, I kind of lost it on that. That was so memorable because of all the circumstances surrounding the game.”
Curry at the Peak of His Powers
Curry’s game-winner came with less than a second left in overtime, breaking a 118-all tie. He launched it from roughly 40 feet, and remarkably, it wasn’t a fluke, it was pure precision. That night, Curry had scored 46 points, making 12 3-pointers, tying the then-record for most 3s in a game. Klay Thompson added 32 points, Draymond Green recorded a triple-double, and the Thunder’s Durant and Westbrook battled valiantly, but nothing could stop Curry’s brilliance.
A Game for the Ages
The Warriors entered Oklahoma City with a 52-5 record, facing a Thunder team at 41-17. OKC surged to an early lead, up 11 at halftime, and Curry even limped off after a hard fall in the third quarter. Yet he returned without missing a beat, scoring 31 points in the second half and overtime, including the unforgettable back-to-back 3s that set up the game-winner.
Curry himself recalled the moment simply: “I’ve shot the shot plenty of times, you’re coming across half court and timing up your dribbles, and you want to shoot before the defense goes in. And that was pretty much my only thought
