Stephen Curry

That it felt inevitable made it no less spectacular. On Feb. 27, Stephen Curry left no doubt that he is the best long-range shooter in professional basketball, breaking his own single-season mark of 286 three-pointers–set a year ago–during a transcendent 46-point performance that included the game-winning shot taken from nearly half-court.

Par for the course in a season that has turned even rival players into fawning fanboys. Propelled by Curry’s laser aim, the Golden State Warriors are closing in on the record of 72 regular-season wins set by Michael Jordan’s 1996 Chicago Bulls. And unlike the increasingly bitter presidential campaign, this run is a pure pleasure to watch.

–SEAN GREGORY