Curry Scores 29 in Return, Warriors Fall 117-116 to Rockets
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- Stephen Curry scored 29 points in 26 minutes off the bench in his return from a 27-game absence, hitting 11 in the third quarter and 11 in the fourth to bring Golden State back from 10 down in the final five minutes before his potential game-winning 30-footer missed long in a 117-116 loss to the Rockets.
- Steve Kerr had Curry sub in for his brother Seth Curry with 4:54 left in the first quarter to manage minutes, pushing Curry slightly past the initial 24-minute plan; Kerr called the Amen Thompson matchup "quite a test" and said "Steph looked amazing."
- Stephen Curry called his "runner's knee" — persistent pain and swelling with no structural damage — his "new normal," saying the franchise is being "cautious" with the "unpredictable" injury he initially thought would sideline him only 7-10 days.
- The Warriors are 36-42 and on track to finish below .500 for the first time since 2019-20, likely entering the play-in tournament as the 10th seed against either the Clippers or Trail Blazers and needing two wins to force their way into the playoffs.
- Kevin Durant, now a Rockets forward, said he was "a little nervous" watching Curry's potential game-winner in the air, adding it "looked great when it left his hands."
- Al Horford is likely to return from a calf strain by the weekend, per Kerr, who also said Curry will rejoin the starting lineup "in the near future" after coming off the bench Sunday.
Why it matters: Golden State's 36-42 record means the franchise will finish below .500 for the first time since 2019-20, and Curry said he expects to play in only three of the four remaining regular-season games before a win-or-go-home play-in game — making every minute of his cautious ramp-up critical to a two-win path to the playoffs.
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