Photo by Chris Landsberger
Watch Stephen Curry & Blake Griffin Duel In College
In 2008, Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin were two of the most exciting players. Curry, after his crazy NCAA Tournament performance where he was averaging 32 PPG for Davidson in their Elite Eight run, leading the nation in scoring with 28.6 points per game, and Blake Griffin was starting a ‘National College Player of the Year’ season in which he ended up averaging 22.7 PPG and 14.4 REB.
Obviously, both were All-Americans that year. Then, on November 18, 2008, it was time for Davidson vs Oklahoma, with both players on the court for their respective teams.
In the game, Griffin had 25 points and a career-high 21 rebounds as the Sooners overcame the then highest scoring game of Curry’s career to beat Davidson 82-78.
The early season showcase was played out with first-round draft picks Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, watching from the front row, but there was plenty of star power on the court — with Griffin and Curry proving their preseason All-America status.
Curry scored 44 points on 12-for-29 shooting and went 6-for-15 from 3-point range, and nearly willed his team back from a 21-point deficit.
But Griffin came up with a crucial offensive rebound in the final minute to keep Davidson from getting the ball back with a chance to tie. Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said:
“I’m really proud of our guys for digging in and finding a way. People got to witness two great performances, two special performances by two special players, what Blake and what Stephen did,”
Curry said:
“It’s a disappointing game. We came out and played to win. We didn’t get it tonight. … We played hard all the way to the finish. We were down big and we made it a game, so I am proud of how we played.”
Curry also compared the game to a four-point loss at top-ranked North Carolina in the Wildcats’ second game last season. After that, of course, Davidson became the Cinderella of the NCAA tournament by knocking off top 10 teams Georgetown and Wisconsin before giving eventual national champion Kansas a scare in the round of eight — launching Curry into celebrity status in the process.
