Stephen Curry leads Warriors past Thunder in wild debut of NBA In-Season Tournament

Moments after Stephen Curry’s fingertips left the game-winning ball, an entire building paused.

The Paycom Center’s collective jaw dropped, its fans’ hands either twirling dramatically in hopes of a review or waving aggressively at their team's fate. Curry delivered an all-time scoop shot worthy of freezing a crowd. But it was the surrounding scenery that set time still.

Draymond Green’s hand hovering near the cookie jar. Josh Giddey’s grip on the nylon. Too many angles, too many factors, and enough commotion for officials to contemplate why, what was certainly the league’s most thrilling in-season tournament game ever, couldn’t yet be decided.

Not long after, crew chief Mitchell Ervin gave his view of the scene.

“It was clear and conclusive evidence that Draymond (Green) does not touch the ball,” Ervin said. “Although Draymond does touch the rim, he does not touch the ball, nor does him touching the rim cause the ball to take an unnatural bounce therefore a basketball violation does not occur on the play.”

By the end of the saga, the Oklahoma City Thunder was left with 0.2 seconds, a virtually sealed 141-139 loss and a lengthy, etched memory of Curry’s burying shot.

One fateful left-right cross from Curry unraveled what, to that point, might’ve been as perfect an outing as possible sans Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

More: Why the state of NBA big men — with Chet Holmgren in mix — is better than some will let on

“I thought it was a great game to be in for our team,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “It was a classic game where every possession mattered, obviously right up to the end of the game.

“There’s no place we’d rather be, and there’s no team we’d rather be playing than a team that’s as battle tested as they are.”

The "We Believe"’" Warriors — scratch that — the Thunder dressed in its new city edition uniforms shot 60.2% from the field to go toe-to-toe with Golden State, connecting on 51.7% of its 3-pointers. For as big a hole as SGA’s absence left (and will continue to leave), it seemed OKC’s lineup each had their own heroic moments that led to the final possession.

Chet Holmgren with his unreal fluidity and shooting touch that gave him a career-high 24 points; Josh Giddey with his series of awkward fourth-quarter floaters to finish with 18 points; Isaiah Joe with a pair of late 3-pointers; Lu Dort didn’t miss until his 10th shot.

For every offensive question mark posed in SGA’s absence, OKC had an answer.

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Who’d handle the bulk of the playmaking and on-ball creation? Jalen Williams, save for his six turnovers, had that covered: 18 points, eight assists, and a handful of accurate kick outs when Andrew Wiggins cut off his pathway.

How would a rookie like Cason Wallace fare in his first start? The young bull played a team-high 36 minutes, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and eventually learning to properly contest an all-time shooter like Klay Thompson.

Who’d handle the shotmaking? Well, Dort went mindless for a three-and-D masterclass, and Giddey’s floaters were enough to earn him street cred with Holmgren.

“Without him in that fourth quarter, it’s not even a last possession game,” Holmgren said of Giddey. “… Tough guy right here. I don’t know what neighborhood he’s from in Australia, but he’s a tough dude.”

The problem was Golden State had just as many answers: it shot 53.3% and featured six players who scored at least 17 points. Former Thunder forward Dario Saric did the heavy lifting for some time. He aced his gig as Chris Paul’s pick-and-pop partner with four 3-pointers while the Warriors’ lauded shooters settled into video game shotmaking.

Klay Thompson drilled tough shots en route to four 3-pointers. Curry emoted his way to 28 points, seven assists and eight rebounds.

And in the end he cupped the only answer that mattered.

“We had every chance to win that game,” Giddey said, “but plays like that happen and calls like that are made, and you’ve just gotta move on.”

Warriors show respect toward Holmgren

Standing near center court, Curry ripped his jersey off to give it away. Not to some starry-eyed kid, though. To the 7-foot-1 21-year-old that stood over him and handed him his own jersey.

If that wasn’t enough, Curry referenced the viral clip in which a younger Holmgren crossed him over and dunked during a camp some years back.

Holmgren’s talent has long been lauded, well before his arrival to the league. Before his career night, before a seven-block game, before Summer League flashes and even before being Mark Few’s anchor at Gonzaga.

Now Holmgren has arrived. He isn’t just a positive offensively six games into his career. There are times where he is the offense. The league, and Curry, haven’t let that go unnoticed.

“He’s ridiculously talented,” Curry said. “He’s a tough cover for bigs, and he’s a tough cover for guards if you switch just because he can get from A to B pretty quick.

“He’s just getting started. … To see him now — I know he had a rough injury to start his career — back playing and healthy and playing well, it’s fun to see.”

It was Holmgren’s hand that just missed the golden ball Curry tossed up. After a Friday night spent trying to edge him defensively, Green gave his seal of approval.

“Chet is a problem,” the former Defensive Player of the Year said. “He can dribble the ball, shoot the ball, has great length, a great shot blocker. He’s only gonna get better.”

The NBA might’ve cooked with the in-season tournament

What exactly did Oklahoma City play witness to on Friday?

It had more layers than just a regular season game. It’s certainly in contention for the game of the year through six games, even without the star power of SGA. Elite shotmaking, a classic finish. An official ruling that’ll stain the minds of viewers for a long while.

The feeling in the building was palpable. Say what you will about the league’s marketing, its perhaps lazy title for the tournament, or its tweakable incentives for the whole ordeal — the setting and its obnoxious courts created something great.

And it wasn’t just in OKC. Essentially every game played on Friday was entertaining, or at least close enough to be entertaining. Yes, the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies fall into that category.

Perhaps this thing will live on past this year. Perhaps its court designs (please, Indiana) will perish. But through one slate of games, the in-season tournament has the league rocking.

Stephen Curry is in an elite class of old dudes

For whatever reason, the NBA has gone out of its way this season to prove certain humans, well, aren’t human.

Victor Wembanyama towered over Kevin Durant to the point we almost gave into the idea that Durant isn’t 7-foot. LeBron James continues to play Johnny Blaze and do things no 38-year-old has ever done.

And Curry, while not quite as old, is doing things no 35-year-old should.

His shooting touch? As precise as ever. His swagger? Reminiscent of his younger self. His blood? Still cold.

As evident by his game-winning layup. And the smooth drive around Dort to get there. And the corner 3 earlier as Dort bumped him off his feet. Or the…

You get the picture.

Through six games, he’s averaging 30.8 points, 5.5 3-pointers and making a career-high 46.5% of them. He’s special. And OKC might’ve caught a notable night in his all-time, regular season legacy.

Thunder tip-ins

• Jaylin Williams made his regular season debut after missing time with a hamstring injury. He finished the night with six points, five rebounds and three assists.

• Before Friday’s game, Steve Kerr gave some credit to Sam Presti and Daigneault for the direction they’ve taken the Thunder to this point. “They’re gonna be scary for years to come,” he said.

• In funky, in-season tournament court news, Golden State’s Gary Payton II and Moses Moody couldn’t help but note that OKC’s court reminds them of Boise State football’s memorable fields.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Steph Curry leads Warriors over Thunder in NBA In-Season Tournament