Stephen Curry Saves Warriors From Magic With Second-Half Explosion (And A Weird Dance)

If you turned off the TV during halftime of the Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic game, honestly, nobody would have blamed you. It looked like another one of those nights at the Chase Center. The vibes were off, the team was hovering around .500 (specifically 14-15 coming in), and the looming dread of a wasted season was thick in the air. But then, as he has done literally hundreds of times before, Stephen Curry decided he wasn’t interested in losing to the Magic on a Monday night.

Curry, battling a tender ankle and a shooting slump in the first half that had fans holding their collective breath, flipped the switch in a way only he can. The result? A 120-97 rout that felt way closer than the final score suggested, at least for the first 30 minutes.

Curry Ignites the Offense When It Mattered Most

Let’s be real: the first half was ugly. But the narrative completely shifted in the third quarter. The Warriors were actually trailing by seven points, and the offense looked stagnant. That’s when Curry hit a three-pointer with about eight minutes left in the period. It didn’t just cut the deficit to 71-69; it seemingly woke up the entire building.

That shot triggered a 14-4 run that essentially buried Orlando. Curry finished the night with 26 points, but a whopping 18 of those came in the second half. He ended up shooting 10-for-23 from the field. It wasn’t his most efficient night ever, but it was the kind of grit-and-grind performance the Warriors desperately needed to get back to an even 15-15 record. When Curry finds his rhythm after the break, the opposing defense usually crumbles, and the Magic were no exception.

That “Daddy Dance” Celebration

We have to talk about the celebration. You know the one. In the third quarter, after almost turning the ball over in a clumsy sequence, the Warriors recovered. Curry got the ball back, stepped into a wide-open three, and drained it.

Then, he unleashed… whatever that was. It wasn’t the classic “Night Night” celebration. It wasn’t the shimmy. It was a weird, disjointed little jig that looked like something your uncle does at a wedding after two open-bar margaritas. It was a total “Dad Dance.” He’s 37 years old, so maybe he’s just leaning into the demographic, but it was hilarious to watch. Honestly, when you’re the greatest shooter to ever walk the earth, you can dance however you want. If Curry wants to do a jig that looks like he’s trying to shake a spider off his leg, let him do it.

The Supporting Cast Finally Showed Up

While Curry grabbed the headlines (and the memes), the supporting cast actually did their job, which has been a rarity this season. Moses Moody was hyper-efficient, dropping 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. When Moody plays like that, the Warriors look like a completely different team.

Then there was the rookie, Brandin Podziemski. The kid is a magnet for winning plays. He finished with 16 points, five assists, and a ludicrous plus-36 rating. That means in the minutes he was on the floor, the Warriors outscored the Magic by 36 points. That is absurd impact for a guy coming off the bench.

And yes, Draymond Green was back. After getting ejected early in the previous game, he played 18 minutes, grabbed seven boards, and managed to get into a shouting match with Steve Kerr. Because, of course, it wouldn’t be a Warriors game without Draymond yelling at someone. But his defense in the second half anchored the team, allowing Curry and the shooters to run wild in transition.

Magic Run Out of Spells

You have to feel a little bad for Paolo Banchero. The Magic star put up a valiant effort with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He was trying to will his team to a win on the first night of a back-to-back, but he had zero help when it came to spacing the floor.

Orlando shot a dismal 26 percent from three-point range. In the modern NBA, you just aren’t beating a team like Golden State—especially when Curry heats up—shooting like that. Desmond Bane chipped in 20 points, but once the Warriors tightened the screws on defense in the fourth quarter (outscoring Orlando 31-14), the Magic offense looked completely lost.

What This Means for the Warriors

The Warriors needed this. Badly. With Jonathan Kuminga out sick and Al Horford still sidelined, the rotation was thin. But they managed to close out the homestand at .500. They have a Christmas Day matinee coming up against Dallas, and if Curry plays with this level of second-half intensity—and hopefully brings better dance moves—they might just turn this rollercoaster season around