Steph Curry has competed in 155 postseason games, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he can’t remember the details of every single one. With five appearances in the NBA Finals and countless high-stakes games, it can all become a blur.
However, one memory that has forever stuck with Curry is his first playoff game in 2013 against the Denver Nuggets. After missing the playoffs in 17 of the previous 18 years, the excitement level was high and the tension palpable for Curry and the Golden State Warriors when they visited the Pepsi Center for Game 1.
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And as Curry recalled, the gravity of the moment undeniably got to him as he seemingly couldn’t get out of his way in what he described as the “worst first half of all time.”
Like a deer in headlights
After battling ankle injuries in his first three seasons, Curry began his ascendance to superstardom during the 2012-13 season when he averaged 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 assists to finish 11th in the Most Valuable Player race. Most importantly, the Warriors finished sixth in the West standings to earn the right to battle the third-seeded Nuggets.
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But as far as playoff debuts go, Curry’s couldn’t have gone any worse.
“I remember it like it was yesterday in Denver. The first half was a blur. I probably played the worst half of all time because you almost psych yourself out thinking that it’s a different game when you get to the playoffs,” he recalled.
“Like the adrenaline and the energy and the building, it’s definitely different, but the game itself, it is just basketball,” the two-time MVP remembered. “So, I do remember that first rep. It was a true blur.”
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“I just out there running around, not really know what I was doing.”
How off was Curry in that first half? He only had four points and missed nine of his 10 attempts from the floor. Although he eventually settled in and finished with 19 points and nine assists, the Warriors still lost that game, 97-95.
The playoffs separate the chaff from the wheat
Although it has been said many, many times, it still bears repeating: the playoffs are a different animal. It’s a stage that strips a player down, exposing his skills and character. With the opposing team aware of every move and play a player has in his arsenal, winning on this stage simply boils down to will and determination.
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“Your success frames that because you don’t know who you are until you go through those reps. So, it’s really just production when it matters most,” Curry explained. “Some people cave, some people show up, some people are resilient and able to deal with one bad game and only leave it at one bad game and bounce back.”
“You’re exposed in the playoffs. There’s no hiding, there’s no running, there’s no catching anybody by surprise. And the guys that can overcome all of that and do it over and over and over again, you start to get that 16-game label,” he emphasized.
Curry eventually overcame his first-game jitters and delivered a resounding performance in his first playoff appearance. He averaged 24.3 points and 9.3 assists to push the Warriors past the Nuggets in six games and advance to the second round for the first time since the “We Believe” Warriors did it in 2007.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.