Despite loss, Warriors ‘back in the mix’ with Curry return — Kerr
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Houston Rockets spoiled Golden State star Stephen Curry’s sparkling return from a 27-game injury absence, thwarting a late Warriors rally for a 117-116 NBA victory late on Sunday.
Curry came off the bench in his first game since January 30 and scored 29 points in 26 minutes on the floor.
He connected on 11 of 21 shots from the field, including five of 10 from three-point range.
The Rockets had pushed a two-point, half-time lead to 15 with five minutes left in the third period when Curry, playing on a minutes restriction, spearheaded an 11-0 run that kept the Warriors within striking distance.
The return of Curry, who said he originally expected to miss only about a week with patella-femoral pain syndrome in his right knee, offered the Warriors a glimpse of what they can be as they get ready for the play-in tournament.
“You can just feel it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re back in the mix, we’re back in the fight with Steph.”
Trailing the Rockets by 10 with less than five minutes remaining, the Warriors pulled within one on a Curry three-pointer with 57.8 seconds to play.
Gary Payton II then drove and was awarded a basket on a goal-tend by Amen Thompson to put the Warriors ahead 116-115.
Rockets centre Alperen Sengun answered with a layup, and when Curry couldn’t get a final three-pointer to drop, the Rockets came away with the win.
“We had the game in control, then they put number 30 in the game,” Rockets star Kevin Durant, who won two titles with the Warriors, said of Curry. “And he got back into it so easily. He makes shots so quicky and he looked incredible after a couple of months off.
“It was a tough one,” added Durant, who led all scorers with 31 points. “But it’s late in the season and both teams are looking to get ready for the play-offs, so it was a good test for us.”
Stephen Curry (right) of Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Jabari Smith of Houston Rockets during the NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Sunday. (Photos: AFP)
