Steve Kerr Praises Warriors’ Grit After Stephen Curry Powers Overtime Win Over Magic

The Golden State Warriors gave away a comfortable lead Saturday night, then leaned on Stephen Curry to keep their winning streak alive.

Curry finished with 41 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 126-119 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic at Chase Center. Golden State improved to 7-3 with its seventh consecutive win, while Orlando dropped to 2-7.

Afterward, Steve Kerr acknowledged the uneven performance while crediting his players for their response.

“I'm thrilled with the grit and the togetherness,” Kerr said.

The Warriors needed both after Orlando erased a 16-point halftime deficit. What initially appeared to be another strong night at home became a test of Golden State’s ability to execute with little room for error.

Curry provided the answer, repeatedly finding ways to score against a defense determined to make his possessions difficult.

Curry described a patient approach against Orlando’s aggressive coverage. Rather than forcing the same shot throughout the game, he adjusted to the opportunities available as the defense changed.

“It’s like a flow state,” Curry said.

He explained that Orlando’s early traps required patience before he found clearer opportunities to attack driving lanes and create perimeter attempts through return passes. His late success reflected an understanding of where those openings would appear.

That distinction mattered in a game Golden State could no longer control through its early advantage.

Curry scored the Warriors’ final 12 points of regulation. His layup with 25.2 seconds remaining gave Golden State a two-point lead, but Jamal Cain’s putback in the closing seconds forced overtime.

Curry delivered again in the extra period, completing a three-point play with 1:38 remaining to put the Warriors ahead for good. He followed with another basket inside the final minute.

Yaxel Lendeborg supplied 23 points and eight rebounds, while Brandin Podziemski added 15 points. Draymond Green finished with 13 assists, giving Golden State another source of offensive organization beyond Curry’s scoring.

The victory did not erase the issues that allowed Orlando back into the game.

The Magic collected 24 offensive rebounds to Golden State’s three, creating repeated opportunities to extend possessions. Orlando also scored 26 points off turnovers, putting additional pressure on the Warriors to convert their own chances.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 30 points and 11 assists.

Those numbers explain why Kerr’s assessment included both encouragement and a demand for improvement. Golden State’s late execution was strong enough to win, but its earlier mistakes made that finish necessary.

For a team that opened the season with three consecutive losses, the ability to recover within a difficult game represents meaningful progress. The next step is reducing the lapses that turn substantial leads into tense finishes.

Saturday offered evidence of both the Warriors’ potential and the work remaining. Curry gave them the scoring they needed, and the group supplied enough late resistance to make it count.