WALTHAM — Word spread fast, gaining speed as his point total climbed with every remarkable basket, alerting the masses to stop and bear witness, because Stephen Curry was absolutely shredding the New York Knicks and their nets.

Avery Bradley watched, too. He saw the Golden State Warriors guard nearly short-circuit Madison Square Garden’s scoreboard Wednesday by dropping 54 points in a narrow loss, a performance that ranks high on the game’s historical rungs, one achieved at its so-called “Mecca.”