SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry returned from a 27-game layoff Sunday and poured in 29 points over 26 minutes, but his last-second 30-footer bounced long as the Golden State Warriors fell to the Houston Rockets 117-116.
The two-time MVP, sidelined since late January with right knee pain, entered off the bench for brother Seth Curry with 4:54 left in the first quarter and was greeted by a standing ovation. His opening stretch included a missed runner and a traveling call. “First run was rough,” Curry said. “Second run was great.”
After scoring seven points in the second period, the guard found his rhythm in the second half, posting 11 points during the final 7:58 of the third quarter and another 11 in seven fourth-quarter minutes. The Warriors trailed by 10 with five minutes remaining before Curry spearheaded the rally that set up his buzzer attempt. “Looked great when it left his hands,” Rockets forward Kevin Durant admitted. “I was a little nervous seeing that ball in the air.”
Head coach Steve Kerr had targeted roughly 24 minutes but extended the rotation as the game tightened. “I don’t think there’s a tougher defender in the league for him to face in a first game back than Amen Thompson,” Kerr said. “Steph looked amazing.”
Curry, 38, expects a similar workload Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings. Golden State has four regular-season games left and sits 36-42, virtually locked into the No. 10 seed and a road to the playoffs that will require back-to-back play-in victories over either the LA Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers.
The veteran called lingering pain and swelling in his right knee “runner’s knee” and “my new normal,” stressing there is no structural damage. Kerr indicated the guard will rejoin the starting lineup soon but said the organization remains cautious after an injury initially projected to keep him out just 7–10 days.
Golden State could also regain center Al Horford, out with a calf strain, by the weekend. “You can just feel it,” Kerr said. “We’re back in the mix. We’re back in the fight with Steph. His rhythm is our rhythm. He changes everything.”
Source: ESPN
