If you're well-rested today, odds are you missed a historic night on the basketball court. In Stephen Curry's return from an MCL injury, the back-to-back NBA MVP came off the bench to drop 40 points in an overtime thriller that puts the Warriors one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals.
It was a record-setting night for Curry, in more than one way. Here's all the records Curry set while the world was sleeping.
Most points in overtime (17), regular season or playoff
Until last night, nobody had ever scored 17 points in overtime of an NBA game. The repeat MVP was 6-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-3 from downtown. He fought off 6-foot-11 center Mason Plumlee for an offensive rebound and subsequent put-back. Curry scored Golden State's first 12 points of overtime.
The previous overtime record was held by Gilbert Arenas, who scored 16 extra points in a 147-141 Wizards win over the Lakers on Dec. 17, 2006. Agent 0 finished that game with 60 points (Kobe Bryant scored 45 in the same game). Fun fact: Luke Walton, current Warriors assistant coach, the newly hired Lakers head coach and former Lakers forward, played 43 minutes in that game.
The previous playoff overtime record was 12 points, set by Clyde Drexler of the Blazers during a first round matchup with the Lakers in 1992. The Lakers actually won the game, but the Blazers reached the NBA Finals that season.
Most bench points in a playoff game in last 32 years (40 - tied record)
Monday was only the seventh time in Curry's NBA career he came off the bench. The Warriors framed Curry's availability as if he were more of an emergency option, but he went full-bore as soon as he hit the court. Curry's early rust was evident: He had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting and was 0-for-9 from three through three quarters.
But in the fourth quarter he got his groove back, scoring 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field, and 5-for-7 from three, in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Nick Van Exel was the last player to score 40 points off the bench in the postseason during a 2003 Mavericks-Kings Western Conference Semifinals series. But he did that in 48 minutes in a double overtime game.
(Note: Official stats for games started in the playoffs were not taken until the 1984-85 season.)
“I’m back. I’m back.” pic.twitter.com/O45DVHtCpu
— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) May 10, 2016
Most 3-pointers attempted by bench player in postseason (16)
Maybe this is not a prideful record, but Curry now owns it. His 16 attempts from beyond the arch beat out J.R. Smith, who took 14 3-pointers last June in Game 5 of the Cavs-Warriors series. Smith, Mario Chalmers, Brent Barry, Van Exel and Michael Adams all took 12 3-pointers on other occasions.
Curry's five three-pointers made off the bench are 19th all-time in the postseason. Jason Terry put up a nine-spot on ten attempts in 2011.
Second all-time, team points in postseason overtime (21)
Call this a modern record. In Game 4 of the 1970 NBA Finals, the Lakers lit up the Knicks for 22 overtime points, a playoff mark that still stands today. The Suns also posted a 21-mark in a postseason overtime, doing so in a 2006 first round do-or-die Game 6 at the Lakers.
First unanimous MVP
This has nothing to do with Curry's Monday night performance, but on Tuesday, it was announced Curry became the NBA's first unanimous MVP Award winner. We are witnessing something pretty darn special right now.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
