MINNEAPOLIS — In a night that felt more like a wake than a celebration, Stephen Curry etched his name deeper into NBA lore, surpassing John Havlicek to become the 20th all-time leading scorer with 26,396 career points. The Golden State Warriors cruised to a 111-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the triumph was overshadowed by an unmistakable heaviness in the Target Center air.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t hold back after the game. “It was one of the weirdest and saddest games I’ve ever been involved in,” he said. “The feeling in the stands was very strange—you could feel it in the atmosphere, completely subdued. You could tell they were dealing with everything that’s happened and what the city has been through. Tough night. We won and we’re happy, but the atmosphere was tough.”
The game, postponed from Saturday after a fatal shooting by federal agents during an immigration operation sparked mass protests across Minneapolis, carried an emotional weight no box score could capture. Still, Curry delivered in vintage fashion, reminding everyone why he’s the greatest shooter the game has ever seen—and now one of its most prolific scorers ever.
Golden State (26-19) earned its first win since Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat ended their season last spring, but the focus remained on Curry’s milestone and the somber backdrop. The two teams will run it back tomorrow night in the same building.
Raptors Storm Into OKC, Hand Thunder Second Straight Loss
Down in Oklahoma City, the reigning champion Thunder (37-10) stumbled again, falling 112-105 to the Toronto Raptors in a gritty road upset. Immanuel Quickley went off for 23 points and 11 rebounds, powering Toronto (29-19) to a statement win that keeps them locked in third place in the East.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 24 points—his 117th straight game with 20 or more—putting him just nine games shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s historic streak of 126. But it wasn’t enough as the Thunder dropped their second in a row and third in five, a rare rough patch for the league’s clear-cut best team.
Pelicans Stun Spurs in Wild Comeback Fashion
In San Antonio, the last-place New Orleans Pelicans (12-36) pulled off a jaw-dropping upset, outlasting the Spurs 104-95. Zion Williamson dominated with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and New Orleans somehow survived a furious San Antonio rally.
Victor Wembanyama was a monster with 16 points and 16 boards, and the Spurs erased a 20-point third-quarter deficit with a blistering 24-5 run to open the fourth and take the lead. But the Pelicans answered right back with a 17-3 spurt of their own to seal the shocker. San Antonio (31-15) remains second in the West, but this one will sting.
Pistons Roll Kings, Stay Atop the East
Out West, the Detroit Pistons (33-11) made a loud statement, blowing out the struggling Sacramento Kings 139-116. All-Star Cade Cunningham stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds, leading eight Pistons in double figures. Detroit remains the Eastern Conference’s top team, ahead of Boston (28-17) and Toronto.
The Kings (12-35), meanwhile, dropped their fifth straight and sit second-to-last in the West, just ahead of New Orleans.
Quick Hits Around the League
- The Clippers crushed the Nets 126-89 in Los Angeles, holding Brooklyn to just 37 points at halftime.
- Miami took down Phoenix 111-102 behind 20 points from Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- Severe winter weather forced postponements of Grizzlies-Nuggets and Bucks-Mavericks.
On a night when basketball took a backseat to real-world pain in Minneapolis, Stephen Curry still found a way to remind us why we watch. A new chapter in his legendary career has officially begun—even if the celebration had to wait.