When it comes to huge individual duels, Stephen Curry has the shooting ability to put up numbers next to anyone, including Carmelo Anthony. Unfortunately for him, his 54 points performance against the New York Knicks was another losing one for the Golden State Warriors.

His 54 points are the third highest total by a player on the road at the current Madison Square Garden, which hosted its first game on Feb. 14, 1968. Only Kobe Bryant with 61 points (2009) and Michael Jordan with 55 (1995) have scored more than him in a game against the Knicks in New York.

So the point guard who has been called too small, too fragile, too injury prone and one-dimensional uses the fact that all of that has been said about him, not making the All-Star things and probably other excuses to put on a rare shooting show, which included 23 points in the second quarter, Curry’s best ever quarter of his NBA career. He hit 18-28 from the field and an even more impressive 11-13 from beyond the arc, adding 6 rebounds and 7 assists.

His 11 three pointers tie him with J.R. Smith and Dennis Scott for second most three pointers made in a game, but his percentage (84.6%) is the highest ever among the four players to make 11 three point field goals in a single game.

I felt good all night. Obviously played the whole game, so was just trying to keep my legs underneath me on the offensive end, and you know, just stick to the game on the defensive end. Once I started seeing that 3-ball go down in transition, all sorts of spots on the floor, I knew it was going to be a good night.

Yes, despite the rare night, it wasn’t such a happy one for the Warriors – they lost for the second consecutive time on their Eastern road trip, that takes them to Boston and Philadelphia next. It also brings the bottom of the playoff pack closer to them, as the Warriors have struggled to win on the road lately, falling to 15-18.

Carmelo Anthony didn’t win the duel, which is probably slightly importnat to him, but there’s no reason to complain about 35 points and the Knicks winning their second game in a row. Anthony scored 35 points on a bad shooting night (not rare), but a good game from the free throw line. Tyson Chandler was monstrous on the boards with 28, adding to his 16 points.

And if you want to try and look on a broader view at the game and not the late actions of the teams, beyond stops, misses and baskets made, the Warriors not having David Lee to help them on the boards allowed the Knicks to grab 16 offensive rebounds, 10 of them by Tyson Chandler. Besides Curry the Warriors were 2-14 from beyond the arc, while Anthony had a wild shooting night from J.R. Smith (26 points, 6 tres) to help him from the bench.

Being shorthanded, the Warriors needed a great performance from their best player. They got it, and it still wasn’t enough, against the misleading Knicks, who still show from time to time there’s more to just Carmelo Anthony with them.

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