People love a good narrative, especially when it involves tearing down a giant. For years, the knock on Stephen Curry was that he somehow "shrunk" when the lights got brightest in June. Critics pointed at the lack of a Finals MVP trophy—until he grabbed that in 2022—and compared his shooting splits to his video-game regular seasons. But if you actually look at the raw steph curry finals stats, the "choker" story starts to fall apart pretty fast.
He’s played 34 Finals games. In those games, he has averaged 27.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Honestly, if those are "struggling" numbers, most Hall of Famers would kill for that kind of slump.
The 2022 Masterclass and the Finals MVP
For a long time, the 2015 Finals was the stick people used to beat him with. They gave the MVP to Andre Iguodala for "holding" LeBron James to 35 points a game. Curry? He put up 26.0 points and 6.3 assists in that series. Fast forward to 2022, and he finally left no doubt.
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Against a Boston Celtics defense that was basically a brick wall, Curry was surgical. He averaged 31.2 points per game. He shot 43.7% from three-point range. You've probably seen the highlights of Game 4, where he dropped 43 points and 10 rebounds in a hostile TD Garden environment. That single performance probably did more to fix his legacy than the previous three rings combined.
The gravity he provides is a stat in itself. Even when he isn't shooting, he is being double-teamed 30 feet from the hoop, which opens up everything for everyone else.
Breaking Down the Shooting Splits
Curry is the only player who gets criticized for shooting "only" 40% from deep. Most guys are lucky to hit 35% under that kind of pressure.
- 2015 vs. Cavs: 26.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.3 APG (44.3% FG, 38.5% 3PT)
- 2016 vs. Cavs: 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG (40.3% FG, 40.0% 3PT)
- 2017 vs. Cavs: 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 9.4 APG (44.0% FG, 38.8% 3PT)
- 2018 vs. Cavs: 27.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.8 APG (40.2% FG, 41.5% 3PT)
- 2019 vs. Raptors: 30.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.0 APG (41.4% FG, 34.3% 3PT)
- 2022 vs. Celtics: 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG (48.2% FG, 43.7% 3PT)
The 2016 series is the real outlier. He was coming off a knee injury from the Portland series and clearly wasn't himself, yet he still averaged 22 points. People remember the behind-the-back pass turnover in Game 7, but they forget he was the reason they were even in a position to win 73 games.
Steph Curry Finals Stats Compared to the Greats
When you put Steph’s 27.3 career Finals scoring average against other legends, the perspective shifts. He’s ahead of Magic Johnson (19.4), Kobe Bryant (25.3), and Larry Bird (23.1).
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Now, obviously, basketball isn't just about scoring. Magic was a triple-double machine, and Kobe was an elite wing defender. But Curry’s impact is about efficiency and spacing. His career True Shooting percentage in the Finals is roughly 59%, which is elite given the volume of threes he takes.
The sheer number of 30-point games he has in the Finals is staggering. He has 13 of them. That puts him in the same neighborhood as Jerry West and LeBron James.
Why the Narrative Stuck for So Long
Basketball is a "what have you done for me lately" sport. Because Kevin Durant won the Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018, people assumed Durant was "the guy" and Steph was the sidekick. This ignores the fact that Tyronn Lue—the Cavs coach at the time—openly admitted their entire defensive scheme was designed to stop Curry, not Durant.
They let KD get dunks so Steph wouldn't get open threes.
The numbers reflect this. In the 2017 Finals, Curry averaged nearly a triple-double with 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.4 assists. If he had just a couple more points, we’d be talking about one of the greatest individual series ever.
Beyond the Box Score: The Gravity Effect
You can’t just look at steph curry finals stats and see the whole picture. There is a "gravity" stat that isn't on the official NBA box score. When Curry crosses half-court, the defense panics.
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In the 2018 Finals, there was a play where two Cavs defenders ran to Curry on a fast break, leaving Kevin Durant wide open for a dunk. Steph didn't get a point or an assist on that play, but he created the basket. That's the part of the stats that the "ring culture" crowd usually misses.
He also holds the record for most three-pointers in a single Finals game (9 in 2018 against Cleveland) and the most career three-pointers in Finals history with 152. To put that in context, Klay Thompson is second with 106, and LeBron James is third with 101. He is essentially in a league of his own.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking to evaluate a player's Finals legacy, don't just look at the MVP trophy.
- Look at True Shooting (TS%): It accounts for the value of the three-pointer and free throws. Steph's TS% remains high even when his raw FG% looks "average."
- Check the "On-Off" numbers: The Warriors' offensive rating usually craters when Curry sits, even during the Durant years.
- Watch the defensive attention: See how many times a defender leaves his man to double Curry.
Steph's 2022 run was the final piece of the puzzle. He proved he could lead a team to a title without another superstar (KD) while putting up historic individual numbers. Whether you think he’s the best point guard ever or second behind Magic, the data shows he didn't just show up for the Finals—he dominated them.
To get the most out of these stats, compare his 2022 shot chart against his 2016 run. You’ll see a player who evolved from a pure perimeter threat into someone who could finish at the rim through contact against elite size. That evolution is why his scoring average jumped from 22.6 to 31.2 over that six-year gap.