Volume 4: Golden State Prosperity

Curry had fallen too far behind in the basic stats, and it was too late to make up the gap now. Zhang Yu only wanted to use a few high-scoring games near the end of the regular season to remind the voters that Curry could score in bunches too—it was merely a matter of whether he wanted to. On April 4, Curry went 13-for-24 from the field, 7-for-14 from three, and 8-for-9 from the line, pouring in 41 points and 9 assists as he led the Warriors to a 121-107 win over the Timberwolves. Golden State improved to 67-11, matching its win total from last season. Besides, team record mattered more than statistics, because stats could be padded, while wins could not. On April 7, Westbrook posted an incredible 50 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, then hit a buzzer-beating, deep three in the final moments to defeat the Nuggets 106-105 and shock the league. On April 9, Harden recorded 35 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds, leading his team to a 135-128 victory over the Kings. However the voters ultimately decided, Zhang Yu would not let Curry miss out on the chance to win a third straight MVP. While people focused on Harden and Westbrook, he kept building momentum for Curry as well. That was why Curry had entered the MVP race. Their main argument was that the Warriors' stacked roster had largely been built through the draft rather than through trades and superstar collusion. Coach Z's sharp eye for talent should not be held against Curry. Only back-to-back 40-plus-point triple-doubles and 50-plus-point triple-doubles could truly excite the fans and add enormous weight to the two players' MVP cases. The Rockets and Thunder did not have especially strong records, which was why the MVP race remained so uncertain. If