The Golden State Warriors got some good news to end the week.
All-Star point guard Stephen Curry returned Friday night from a pelvic contusion, playing 34 minutes in the Warriors’ 111-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors are fortunate that Curry missed just two games with the injury, suffered March 20 in a win over the Toronto Raptors. Golden State’s offense struggled to find rhythm and consistency during Curry’s absence, with the ball often stagnating.
Curry participated Thursday in a scrimmage during practice, and then underwent an individual workout to test the injury. The Warriors officially listed Curry as questionable for Friday’s game and announced about an hour-and-a-half ahead of tipoff that he would start.
Here’s everything you need to know about Curry’s return from a pelvic contusion:
How many points did Stephen Curry score in Golden State Warriors return?
In his first game back, Curry played 33:54 and shot 7 of 21 from the floor, including 5 of 16 from 3-point range. He scored 23 points and added six assists and four rebounds. Although Golden State started the game slowly, finding itself in an early 14-2 hole, Curry was particularly effective in the second quarter, scoring 13 points in the period.
Curry led all Warriors players in scoring, with Jimmy Butler (18) as the next closest player.
Coach Steve Kerr said after the game he thought the Warriors are “clearly trying to get our rhythm back as a group” but complimented Curry’s play.
“I thought he looked great. He was moving really well, took care of the ball. I thought Steph played an excellent game. He probably missed his last five or six 3s so the (shooting) numbers probably don’t look great, but he looked like himself and I think the week off did him a lot of good.”
Curry said after the game that he will “feel (the injury) for a while,” but that he “can’t make it worse” and that he’s able to play through any lingering discomfort.
“I felt good,” he added. “A week off is great in one aspect because you’re resting, but your timing, the endurance of getting your regular minutes, that was a little bit of a challenge. So I was trying to manage the game and not do anything crazy. All in all, it was great night. It was nice to get the win.”
What does Stephen Curry’s return mean for the Warriors?
The victory Friday over the Pelicans came as good news for a Warriors team that had slipped out of the guaranteed playoff picture Wednesday. The Warriors (42-31) have the same record as the Clippers, who also won Friday, though Los Angeles holds a tiebreaker, giving it a very slim edge.
Although it was a small sample size, the Warriors offense stagnated in Curry’s absence. Butler, the star forward the team acquired in a February trade with the Heat, was at times too passive and deferential, and the Warriors struggled to move the ball in half-court sets. Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield also did not step up their game, and Friday night’s win against the Pelicans, who are admittedly a weaker opponent, showed how Curry opens spacing and opportunities for other Golden State players.
The Warriors will continue their road trip Sunday in San Antonio against the Spurs.
