37-year-old Curry fought against G7 with injury! He made all 6 free throws to secure the victory. Fan: He is still the King of the Warriors

1. Turn the tables against the wind! Curry's first round MVP deserved

On May 7, after the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Warriors narrowly eliminated the Rockets 4-3 and advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals. In the MVP selection of the series initiated by Hupu JRs, Stephen Curry was elected with an overwhelming vote-winning 85.9%, becoming the well-deserved "key gentleman" in the hearts of fans.

Data interprets dominance:

series averaged 24 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks, with a shooting percentage of 47.1%, and a three-point shooting percentage of 39.2%; 4 points in 7 games, 30+, G3 scored 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, and G7 contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in the life-and-death battle.

Although the data seems "moderate", Curry's value is far from being reflected on paper. In the dilemma of the Warriors' overall offensive stagnation and the ups and downs of young players, he is both a tactical starting point and a terminator.

Especially in the decisive moment, Curry used unsolved three-pointers and calm free throws to stop the bleeding for the Warriors. For example, in the last 45 seconds of G7, he made all 6 free throws to lock in the victory, showing his "big heart" characteristics to the fullest.

2. Fighting with injuries: Behind the stubbornness of the 37-year-old veteran

victory in the first round series is the tragic story of Curry fighting with injuries. As early as the G4 against the Rockets, his right thumb suffered a contusion and he would need to receive fixed treatment before every game. Despite the obvious swelling, Curry insisted on playing, and even admitted after the G7 game: "The pain is inevitable, but as long as I can play, I will do my best."

Contradictory between injury and performance: In the 3 games after the injury, Curry still averaged 21.3 points per game and his three-point shooting percentage remained at 38%; in the defensive end, he interfered with his opponent's shooting 4.2 times per game, and his assisted defense efficiency ranked among the top three in the Warriors' team.

This fighting spirit of "slight injury cannot go down the front line" reminds people of his career - from the peak of the unanimous MVP in 2016 to the return of the king of the 2022 finals, Curry's tenacity has always been the core of Warriors culture.

3. The tactical revolution of historical shooters

Curry once again proved in this round of the series that he is not only a harvester for the three-point record, but also an innovator of modern basketball tactics.

No-ball threat reshapes the space:

The Warriors averaged 12.3 open three-pointers per game through "Curry Gravity", and teammates Podjemsky, Kumingga and others benefited;

Even if the personal feel is not good (such as G5 only scored 13 points), he still revitalizes the team with 9 assists.

Evolution on the defensive end:

Faced with the impact of the Rockets' young defenders, Curry averaged only 4.3% of the opponent's shooting percentage, and both steals and blocks were in the playoff career highs.

This performance of integrated offense and defense breaks the outside world's stereotype about "shocking players' physical fitness shortcomings". As he said when he won the MVP again in 2016: "What I want to do is be myself and prove that every day can be better."

4. Controversy and doubts: What is the value of MVP?

Despite the high voices from fans, some voices question Curry's MVP quality, believing that the Rockets are weak and the Warriors' promotion process is difficult. In this regard, we need to analyze from multiple dimensions:

Opponent strength:

Rockets ranked 6th in the league in defensive efficiency this season, with 3 averaged 20+ scorers per game, which is by no means a "soft persimmon";

Warriors' lineup depth has dropped sharply after Green's aging and Thompson left the team, and Curry is almost the only stable core.

Historical comparison:

When the US media selected the playoff MVP in 2022, Curry ranked 5th only due to his "insufficient competitiveness of his opponent", but in the end he led the team to win the championship and won the FMVP;

The average efficiency value (PER) of this series reached 25.8, surpassing Jokic (24.1) and Tatum (23.6) in the first round.

It can be seen that Curry's value lies in "holding the team's lower limit with one person", which is particularly scarce in the era of superstars' groupings.

5. Future Outlook: The Ultimate Answer of the Warriors Dynasty

After advancing to the second round, the Warriors will face the challenge of the Timberwolves. Although his opponent has new generation superstars such as Edwards and Gobert, Curry's existence has always kept the suspense.

Key variables:

Recovery progress of thumb injury will directly affect Curry's outside sight;

Can young players such as Kumingga continue the outbreak of the G7 (15 points and 8 rebounds) and share the offensive pressure.

If Curry can stay healthy, he is expected to replicate the miracle of "leading the team to win the championship in 2022". As the fans commented: "As long as Curry is there, the Warriors will always have the possibility of creating history."

Conclusion: Legend is still writing

From a young rookie in 2009 to a 30-year veteran in 2025, Stephen Curry used his 16-year career to interpret what "greatness" is.

He doesn't need to use data to build legends, because every turnaround, every injury-ridden battle, and every cold-blooded kill at critical moments are reshaping the meaning of basketball.

As he said at the MVP awards, "I know my performance will affect the next generation, and that's the meaning of persistence."