One play sums up what Stephen Curry unleashed on the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
In the closing seconds of the third quarter, Curry launched a shot from 44 feet and banked it in off the glass.
There was no defense for that.
With Curry leading the way, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors beat the Magic 130-114 at Amway Center.
Curry scored 51 points, grabbed seven rebounds and delivered eight assists as the Warriors won for the 15th time in their last 16 games.
The Magic played reasonably well, all things considered.
All five of their starters scored in double figures, led by Evan Fournier, who had 20 points.
The final score suggests otherwise, but the game featured eight lead changes and 12 ties.
But Curry dominated the game. Just how efficient was he? He made 20 of his 27 shots.
In the third quarter alone, Curry, the reigning NBA MVP, scored 24 points as he made six of the seven 3-pointers he attempted.
His heave at the end of the period was the backbreaker. It put Golden State ahead 99-91.
Curry now owns an NBA record, too.
He has made a 3-pointer in 128 consecutive regular-season games, breaking the record set by the Atlanta Hawks’ Kyle Korver.
Orlando (25-31) is hoping to sneak into the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.
Golden State (52-5), meanwhile, is attempting to clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Curry didn’t receive much help from his teammates Thursday. His backcourt mate, fellow All-Star Klay Thompson, scored only nine points. Draymond Green, another All-Star, scored 12 points, collected four boards and dished out eight assists.
The Magic began the game with Victor Oladipo, their best defender, guarding Curry.
Oladipo did not practice on Wednesday or participate in his team’s Thursday-morning shootaround because of a bruised quadriceps. The Magic did not know whether he would be able to play against the Warriors until an hour and a half before tipoff.
Oladipo finished with 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
The Magic led the Warriors 63-59 at halftime. Golden State made 52 percent of its shot attempts in the first half, but that percentage was a bit deceptive. Orlando still played decent defense, but Curry, especially, made a few circus shots that most players would not have been able to make.
In the closing seconds of the first quarter, Curry converted a wild layup attempt as he was fouled by Jason Smith. Curry’s efforts drew “oohs” and “aahs” from the announced crowd of 19,189 people, the fifth-largest crowd in Amway Center history.
With 4:10 to go in the third quarter, Curry made a 3-pointer from 26 feet in transition, pulling the Warriors ahead 83-80. There was no defense for that shot. Skiles watched the play unfold as he stood on the sidelines, his hands on his hips.
Magic coach Scott Skiles told his players before the game that they could have a flawless defensive possession and still see the Warriors come away with points because of the brilliance of Curry and his teammates. Skiles said his players could not allow themselves to feel demoralized in those instances.
Curry scored 22 points in the first half.
But the Magic were more balanced. Fournier, Oladipo and Nik Vucevic scored in double figures in the first half.
The Warriors, who are on pace to beat the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 wins in a season, lured a few celebrities to the arena.
The crowd watching the game included Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, college basketball analyst Dick Vitale and New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia.
They saw Curry at his best.