Stephen Curry is back in action for the Warriors after being sidelined for over two months with a right knee injury. The two-time MVP was scheduled to play against Houston on Sunday night, marking his first appearance since January 30 against Detroit.
Curry’s Minutes to be Managed
Curry’s return will be carefully managed, with an expected playing time of around 25 minutes. Coach Steve Kerr indicated that it’s unclear how many of the remaining games Curry will participate in. The Warriors have a packed schedule with five games in eight days, including a back-to-back. The expectation is that Curry would not play on consecutive nights.
The decision on Curry’s playing schedule will depend on how he feels and the input from Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini.
Kerr stated that the plan for Curry’s first game back involves “shorter bursts”.
Dealing with the Pain
Curry scrimmaged several times during the past week to test his knee. He mentioned on Saturday that shutting down for the remainder of the season was never a consideration.
Curry said that dealing with the pain is part of his “new normal”. He anticipates needing a significant reset in the offseason.
The 38-year-old initially hoped to return right after the All-Star break, but his recovery was prolonged due to setbacks when pushing too hard.
Warriors’ Struggles Without Curry
Curry leads the Warriors in scoring with 27.2 points per game.
The Warriors are currently 36-41 and have struggled without Curry, going 13-25 this season in games he has missed. During this recent stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome, they were 9-18.
Kerr hoped to see Curry and his younger brother Seth play together.
The Warriors had lost three straight games overall.
Kerr had said Saturday that Curry was expected to play for the first time since Jan. 30 against Detroit, though the Warriors listed him as questionable.