On Nov. 15, 2025 in San Antonio, Warriors guard Stephen Curry poured in 49 points to lift Golden State to a 109-108 road victory over the Spurs, sealing the game with two clutch free throws in the final seconds. The night also carried personal meaning: Curry’s scoring surge extended his streak of 40-point games since turning 30 to 44, matching Michael Jordan’s benchmark. The performance followed a 46-point outing three nights earlier and came after Curry missed three games due to illness, marking back-to-back 40-plus nights for the first time since 2022. The win snapped a recent pattern of road struggles for Golden State and showcased Curry’s late-game composure and shooting depth.
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Curry scored 49 points in a 109-108 Warriors victory at San Antonio on Nov. 15, 2025, including nine 3-pointers.
- Curry hit two decisive free throws with 6.4 seconds left after drawing a reach-in foul, preserving the one-point lead.
- With this game Curry reached 44 career 40-plus games since his 30th birthday, tying Michael Jordan’s post-30 record.
- Curry tallied 28 points on off-the-dribble jumpers in the game, the most in a single contest for him since 2015 (per GeniusIQ).
- He followed a 46-point effort three nights earlier and missed three games earlier in the week due to illness, marking consecutive 40-point games for the first time since 2022.
- Before the San Antonio trip, the Warriors had lost six straight road games; this win is the team’s second straight in the Spurs’ arena.
- Curry is 66 of 70 on free throws this season after recent multi-game attempts and stellar late-game accuracy.
Background
Stephen Curry’s late-career scoring milestones have been framed by both personal longevity and evolving defensive attention. The milestone of 40-point games since age 30 places him alongside all-time scorers for sustained high-output stretches late in their careers, inviting comparisons to Michael Jordan’s durability and scoring prowess in the later phases of his career. Golden State itself entered the matchup with a need for stabilizing results on the road; a six-game road slide had put pressure on the roster to rediscover cohesion away from Chase Center.
San Antonio provides a different set of matchups and storylines, notably the presence of Victor Wembanyama, whose first few seasons have drawn national attention and posed a new type of defensive and promotional challenge for opponents. Curry’s pregame decision to don Kobe 6s during warmups — a public nod to sneaker freedom and a personal branding moment — added a cultural subplot to the night before he finished the game in his usual on-court footwear. The combination of on-court urgency and off-court signals underscored the broader narrative of veteran starcraft meeting modern franchise transitions.
Main Event
The game’s final sequence crystallized Curry’s influence. With the Warriors clinging to a one-point lead and 6.4 seconds remaining, Curry drew a reach-in foul, stepped to the line and calmly drained both attempts to extend the margin. On the preceding play, Victor Wembanyama motioned to an energized section of the Spurs crowd in an attempt to buoy the home fans; Curry later acknowledged seeing the taunt and said he “played into it,” using the moment to engage the crowd and then finish with composure at the stripe.
Curry’s scoring attack was diverse: nine made 3-pointers, a high volume of off-the-dribble jumpers (28 points on those looks), and timely drives that forced opponents into difficult defensive choices. The Warriors’ defense held on after the free throws, denying a tying attempt at the buzzer. Earlier in the week Curry had posted 46 points in a road win at San Antonio, making this a back-to-back 40-plus pair that the franchise has not seen from him since 2022.
Pregame theater intersected with on-court results. Curry warmed up in a pair of Kobe 6s to signal his openness to new sneaker partnerships, then switched to his customary game shoes once the contest began. After making the go-ahead plays and matching a historical milestone, he acknowledged the personal significance of the achievement while emphasizing team outcomes. Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Curry’s late-game reliability, noting that his free-throw routine and confidence under pressure have become expected rather than surprising.
Analysis & Implications
Curry’s consecutive high-output games illustrate both his scoring craft and the space still afforded him by defenses despite evolving league strategies. His ability to create off-the-dribble jumpers at scale — 28 points on that shot type in the Nov. 15 game — forces opponents to choose between collapsing inside or conceding perimeter attempts, a tactical squeeze that benefits his teammates as much as his own totals. For Golden State, those moments can mask broader roster adjustments; the offense looks more stable when Curry is operating at this level.
Tying Michael Jordan’s mark for 40-point games since age 30 reframes the conversation around longevity and peak extension. It is a specific counting stat rather than a composite measure of impact, but it nevertheless underscores Curry’s sustained elite scoring across seasons. The milestone will be cited in legacy discussions, though it should be contextualized with era, pace, team role and supporting cast differences between players.
From a roster-building perspective, Curry’s late-game dependability reduces short-term pressure to overhaul personnel, but it also highlights the Warriors’ reliance on his scoring. If the team is to advance deeper in the postseason, coaching and front office work will center on creating more consistent complementary production so that high-Curry nights are additive rather than essential. Opponents will continue experimenting with length and interior resistance — led in many matchups by players like Wembanyama — but Curry’s shooting efficiency complicates conventional counters.
Comparison & Data
| Player | 40+ Games Since Age 30 | Recent Highs |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | 44 | 46 (Nov. 12, 2025), 49 (Nov. 15, 2025) |
| Michael Jordan | 44 | Career benchmark (comparative record) |
The table places Curry and Jordan on the same tally for this specific metric: 44 games of 40 or more points since turning 30. Additional context: Curry has made nine 3-pointers in the Nov. 15 game and is 66 of 70 on free throws this season, translating to a 94.3% clip so far. Those peripheral numbers — deep shooting volume and near-elite free-throw accuracy — multiply the value of scoring outbursts and increase the plausibility that Curry’s high-output nights will continue into the season.
Reactions & Quotes
After the game, coach Steve Kerr highlighted Curry’s reliability at the stripe and in crunch time, framing his free-throw composure as part of the veteran’s established repertoire.
“I’m not wondering if he’s going to make them or not. I think everyone expects it.”
Steve Kerr, Warriors head coach (postgame)
Curry recounted the moment when the crowd rose and when opponents tried to provoke a reaction, saying he noticed the taunt and used it to sharpen his focus before stepping to the line.
“I played into it.”
Stephen Curry, Warriors guard (postgame)
Victor Wembanyama’s visible effort to energize the home fans was noted by several attendees and added a storyline about how emerging stars engage arenas; Spurs officials called the atmosphere a key factor in players’ emotional responses during tight finishes.
“We wanted to get the crowd loud and make them feel the moment.”
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (postgame comment)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Curry will maintain his current free-throw percentage and end the season as the league leader is a projection, not a settled fact.
- Any longer-term durability effects from his recent illness are not fully established; medical updates or extended absence would be required to confirm health impacts.
- How opponents will specifically alter game plans against Curry over the remainder of the season remains to be seen and depends on matchup availability and tactical evolution.
Bottom Line
Stephen Curry’s 49-point night in San Antonio was both a team-saving act and a personal milestone, tying Michael Jordan on a narrowly defined longevity stat. The game underscored Curry’s late-game poise and shot-making range, while also reminding observers that Golden State still leans heavily on his scoring in close contests.
Looking ahead, the immediate implications are mixed: the Warriors secure back-to-back road wins and a morale boost, but sustainable success will require more consistent contributions from secondary scorers and defensive tightening. For Curry personally, the milestone enhances his late-career narrative, but analysts and fans should weigh the achievement alongside efficiency, opponent context and team construction as the season unfolds.
Sources
- ESPN game story (sports journalism, game recap and quotes)