Three Legends In A Week: Stephen Curry Leaves Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson And DeMar DeRozan Behind On The Scoring List

Stephen Curry in action in his Golden State Warriors jersey.© Instagram/ @stephencurry30

Stephen Curry keeps moving up the NBA's scoring charts. On Monday night, he scored 25 points in a 138-87 win over the New Orleans Pelicans and passed DeMar DeRozan for 16th place on the league's all-time list, finishing the night with 26,803 career points. Only a few days earlier, he went past Oscar Robertson, and before that he passed Dominique Wilkins. The win was the eighth in a row for the Golden State Warriors, who barely needed Curry in the fourth quarter.

Curry climbs again, passing DeRozan days after Robertson

Curry has now moved up the list three times in about a week. On Oct. 30, he scored 31 points against the Lakers to pass Dominique Wilkins for 18th. On Thursday, a three-pointer in the first quarter against the Heat gave him 26,711 points and took him past Oscar Robertson for 17th. On Monday, he overtook DeRozan, who had 26,800 at the time and now plays for the Denver Nuggets.

The two came into the league in the same 2009 draft class, just two picks apart. DeRozan is 37 and coming off the bench in Denver for the first time since his rookie year, averaging 10.7 points. Curry is averaging close to 30 points this season. Next on the list is Hakeem Olajuwon at 26,946, and Curry needs about 143 more points to catch him. Russell Westbrook, Elvin Hayes and Moses Malone are the next names ahead.

How the Warriors ran away from the Pelicans

Curry made 6 of 10 shots, including four threes, and played only about 21 minutes. He sat out the entire fourth quarter. He was coming off a 41-point night in Saturday's 126-119 overtime win over Orlando.

Golden State led 35-20 after the first quarter, as New Orleans shot 7 of 23 and missed 10 of 12 threes. The lead grew to 23 early in the second, and it was 72-43 at halftime. Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Brandin Podziemski also scored 25. Charles Bassey added 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and De'Anthony Melton had 16.

The Pelicans were without Zion Williamson, who was rested a night after a loss to the Clippers, and Trey Murphy III, who sat to manage his knees. Derik Queen scored 16 and Dejounte Murray added 12. Injured guard Jimmy Butler dressed as a coach and held a clipboard reading “PASS TO STEPH.” Golden State lost guard Will Richard to a torn ligament in his left thumb, and he will decide on surgery or a splint within a week. The Warriors play at Houston on Wednesday.