Curry named Clutch Player of the Year

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Four-time National Basketball Association champion Stephen Curry was named the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year on Thursday in recognition of his performance in tight, late-game situations.

Curry led the league in points scored in clutch time — defined as games within five points with less than five minutes to play — with 189.

He shot an average of 49.6 percent from the field — including 45.7 percent from three-point range -- in clutch situations, both above his season averages.

Curry’s late-game heroics included a pair of game-winning shots, one a 33-footer to beat the Phoenix Suns on February 10 and another a layup at the buzzer to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the In-Season Tournament.

“You’ve got to be able to fail,” Curry told broadcaster TNT during the televised announcement of the award.

“I don’t know if anything clicked other than just knowing how much time you put into the game and with that time comes deserved confidence of ‘okay, I’m ready for whatever moment.’”

Curry is just the second recipient of the award. Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox won the inaugural title last season.

He was one of three finalists, along with Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander is also a finalist for Most Valuable Player.

Curry’s clutch prowess isn’t getting a test in the playoffs. The Warriors finished 10th in the Western Conference and were eliminated by the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament.