The Golden State Warriors faced the Houston Rockets, where Stephen Curry finally returned to the NBA court, but in a role rarely seen: coming off the bench rather than starting.
The last time Curry came off the bench in a regular-season game was 14 years ago, in a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 7, 2012, a remarkable statistic that highlights just how consistent and pivotal he has been for the Warriors.
Curry entered the game with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, marking his return after missing nearly two months and a total of 27 consecutive games due to a persistent knee injury.
Curry’s return brings excitement
The return of Steph immediately boosted the Warriors’ outlook, especially with Kristaps Porzingis and even his brother Seth Curry also back in the lineup, giving the team a morale boost ahead of the play-in. Coach Steve Kerr knows the impact Curry has.
“These last 12 years have really shown that we’ve been able to play a really entertaining style and win championships. Frankly, Steph is responsible for more of that than anyone. One of the greatest players of all time, but he’s the greatest face of a franchise in any sport that I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said before the match against Rockets.
“We want to bring joy to this building, we want to bring joy to our fans, that’s what this is about. It’s about winning, yes, but it’s about people really enjoying coming to the building and watching our team play. It’s the most important thing,” Kerr added, raising expectations for the team.
Warriors struggle without Curry
Curry leads the Warriors in scoring with 27.2 points per game, and his absence has been noticeable. Golden State (36-41) had lost three straight games overall and went 13-25 this NBA season without Curry, including a 9-18 stretch while he was sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.
