FILE–Steph Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors waves to the gang after an NBA sport towards the Houston Rockets at Toyota Middle on April 04, 2024 in Houston, Texas. Tim Warner/Getty Photos/AFP
Golden State’s Stephen Curry led the league in clutch scoring this NBA season, and now he’s received one other trophy so as to add to his assortment.
Curry was introduced Thursday night time because the NBA’s Clutch Participant of the 12 months, including that award to a resume that features two MVPs, an All-Star Recreation MVP, an NBA Finals MVP, a Western Convention finals MVP and 9 All-NBA alternatives.
The award is known as for Jerry West, somebody Curry is aware of effectively and somebody who as soon as was a marketing consultant for the Warriors.
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“While you see him in particular person you understand how a lot basketball issues to him, how aggressive he’s, how a lot he needs to win it doesn’t matter what seat he’s in,” Curry mentioned of West on the TNT telecast the place the award was introduced. “And that rubbed off on our group throughout that point. … Any time Jerry West says one thing, you’re going to pay attention.”
Curry was one in all three finalists, together with Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Oklahoma Metropolis’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Curry led the league in clutch scoring — outlined as factors within the final 5 minutes of fourth quarters or in time beyond regulation, with the rating differential within the sport being 5 factors or much less — with 189, seven greater than DeRozan. Gilgeous-Alexander had 112 factors in these “clutch” moments, seventh-most within the league.
The voting was shut, with Curry getting 45 first-place votes and ending with 298 factors. DeRozan received 34 first-place votes and had 272 factors within the balloting, with gamers incomes 5 factors for a first-place vote, three for second place and one for third place. Gilgeous-Alexander had 160 factors.
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Curry — a four-time champion — mentioned he’s been watching the playoffs, and pondering forward to what Golden State must do earlier than subsequent season. The Warriors had been eradicated from postseason consideration by shedding on this yr’s play-in match.
“We’re not that far off, even having tried to remain at this degree and at this peak for thus lengthy,” mentioned Curry, who will play for the U.S. on the Paris Olympics this summer season. “There’s going to be some tweaks, we all know. While you lose, it’s a must to look your self within the mirror and say ‘What can we do to get higher, what holes can we fill.’ Fortunately, we have now a while to determine that out.”
The award was first handed out final yr, when Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox received the inaugural trophy — named for West, the league’s authentic “Mr. Clutch” — with Miami’s Jimmy Butler second and DeRozan third. Gilgeous-Alexander was seventh within the clutch voting final yr and Curry tied for ninth.
There have been 23 gamers up for the award this yr, that listing being put collectively by a balloting of coaches. From there, a panel of 99 reporters and broadcasters who cowl the league made the ultimate choice; their ballots had been due final week earlier than the beginning of the play-in match. NBA awards take solely the common season into consideration.
Curry was the third participant to be introduced as an award-winner by the NBA this week, becoming a member of Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey (Most Improved) and Minnesota’s Naz Reid (Sixth Man). The subsequent award comes Sunday when both Oklahoma Metropolis’s Mark Daigneault, Minnesota’s Chris Finch or Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley shall be revealed as Coach of the 12 months.
The schedule for distributing the opposite particular person awards has but to be revealed by the league. Those awaiting scheduling are Rookie of the 12 months (San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma Metropolis’s Chet Holmgren or Charlotte’s Brandon Miller), Defensive Participant of the 12 months (Wembanyama, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert or Miami’s Bam Adebayo) and Most Helpful Participant (Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic or Gilgeous-Alexander).
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Moreover, there are the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive groups that shall be launched as effectively.
