Tonight’s showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder was billed as a Western Conference clash worth watching —but it ended up delivering a bit of NBA history instead. Midway through the game, on what looked like an ordinary closeout, Stephen Curry contested a three-pointer by Isaiah Joe and was whistled for a foul. Moments later, the referees went to the monitor for review, and what came next stunned even longtime fans of the two-time MVP.

After review, Curry was assessed a flagrant one foul —the first of his 17-year career.

As Anthony Slater pointed out, “That was the first flagrant foul of Steph Curry’s 17-year career — 1,193 career games prior to tonight and zero flagrants.” The officials ruled that Curry had invaded Joe’s landing space, a point of emphasis in today’s NBA given the league’s strict stance on protecting shooters.

It was a rare blemish on Curry’s otherwise pristine disciplinary record and a moment that underscored how even veterans with spotless résumés can find themselves caught in the league’s evolving safety standards.

This kind of foul has become a point of emphasis in the NBA, aimed at protecting shooters like Curry, and the league has taken steps, even this offseason, to curb excessive physicality against perimeter players.

That’s an interesting and ironic full-circle moment in NBA history. It’s pretty ironic that the infamous Zaza Pachulia closeout on Kawhi Leonard back in 2017, a play that effectively reshaped how the NBA interprets flagrant fouls and player safety, is now the very reason Stephen Curry caught a flagrant tonight.

Back then, the league tightened rules to protect shooters from reckless closeouts. And now, nearly a decade later, one of Zaza’s own former teammates gets penalized under the same standard.

For perspective, Curry has gone through nearly two decades of basketball without once crossing the line, despite running through hard screens, chasing shooters, and taking more contact than most guards his size have ever taken.

Yet, until tonight, not one flagrant. Amongst active players, the only player who comes even close is Mike Conley, who received his only flagrant foul during the 2022 playoffs, marking the end of a 15-year streak.

The Warriors are currently struggling with inconsistency, holding a disappointing 6-5 record as the team deals with injuries, including Curry’s illness, which has caused him to miss the last three games.

This is the second time this season that the Warriors have been assessed a flagrant foul, with the first one being given to Draymond Green during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 27.

During the matchup, Green turned the ball over and subsequently fouled Grizzlies player Santi Aldama. Aldama then missed both free throws, and Green mocked him by skipping around the court.

Green later commented on the situation, saying, “And I just disagree with fronting like that, because even if you get the call he did … it’s almost like you sold your soul for two free throws. You just laying out on the floor… Just to get up and walk to the bench and walk to the free throw line.”

OKC Thunder’s Rise Tests Golden State Warriors’ Resolve on the Road

For the Golden State Warriors, tonight’s game was supposed to be about rediscovering rhythm against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Dubs once again seemed to unravel, as the Thunder exposed every soft spot in the Warriors’ armor.

OKC, up 63-44 at halftime, shot a blistering 8/15 from deep in the first half, and by the end of the third quarter, the lead swelled to 35 behind 44 third-quarter points from OKC. A blowout, just four days after one in Denver, painted the picture for the Warriors: they need to find an identity.

Stephen Curry, who returned from his illness, still looked hobbled, making only four of 13 beyond-the-arc shots, sitting out the final 90 seconds of the third.

Energy came in spurts for the team in general, being led by Jonathan Kuminga and Jimmy Butler, but nothing seemed to sustain, an issue that head coach Steve Kerr has lamented all season.

Meanwhile, the defending champs look every bit like the team that dominated the regular season last year.

OKC, missing Jalen Williams and key reserves, weren’t deterred, with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren dictating the pace.

Warriors center Al Horford had warned before the trip, “It’s a big challenge for our group and the way to address it,” and now, it feels defining. Now, with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs waiting tomorrow, it’s about proving they still belong in the conversation.