Stephen Curry announced his return well before tipoff on Friday night, stunning fans at Chase Center. Just before the game started, he made a shot from almost 30 yards.
As part of his usual pregame routine, Curry launched a jump from the tunnel leading to the court after taking a short pass from a nearby guard. The ball sailed under the scoreboard and fell through the net. Curry sprinted away in celebration as fans erupted in disbelief.
About an hour later, the Warriors star returned to the game for the first time in five games after recovering from a left quad injury. The 37-year-old looked sharp, scoring 39 points along with five assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes, though Golden State lost 127-120 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I felt pretty good early, but then had to find my second wind,” Curry said. “Once I got into the flow, everything started to feel normal again. Individually, it was a solid first game back.”
Curry shot 14 of 28 from the field and posted his eighth 30-point performance of the season. However, his effort wasn’t enough for a Warriors side missing key players, including Draymond Green, who sits out due to a team-excused absence, and Al Horford, who is sidelined with sciatica.
Golden State is now 13-13 heading into Sunday’s game with Portland, and its reliance on Curry remains evident. Although his pre-match heroics were the highlight of the evening, the inability to convert his strong return into a victory raised further concerns.
When asked afterwards about the long shot that captivated the crowd, Curry smiled wryly. “That’s the second one I’ve made,” he said. “I thought it was going to be a better night.”
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