Warriors celebrate return of Steph Curry with dynamic win.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has long called guard Stephen Curry “The System” for a simple reason: When Kerr took over Golden State seven years ago, he designed a movementheavy offense to maximize Curry’s frenetic playing style.
It came as no surprise, then, that the Warriors struggled to channel their signature flow with Curry sidelined five games with a bruised tailbone. In his first outing back from the injury Monday night at Chase Center, Curry helped Golden State return to its dynamic ways as it pulled away in the second half for a 116102 win over the Bulls.
Though Curry was visibly bothered at times by his sore tailbone, he still delivered the dazzling ballhandling, deep 3pointers and scoop shots that have long been his trademark. His final stat line of 32 points on 11for24 shooting (6for14 from 3point range), six assists and five rebounds in 30 minutes left little doubt: No bruise can quell Curry’s brilliance.
“He's the heart and soul of everything we do,” Kerr said of Curry. “We’ve been in a little rut. We needed him, and he came through.”
When on the bench, he sat on an extra cushion to make him feel more comfortable. But when on the floor, Curry made the game easier on his teammates with his mere presence, drawing doubleteams as soon as he crossed midcourt. This created plenty of open looks, which is a big reason why the Warriors shot 50.2% from the field (43.8% from 3point range).
Forward Draymond Green, who entered the night averaging just six points per game, finished with 11 points and
three 3pointers — his most since a win over Cleveland on April 5, 2019 — to go with nine assists. None of his shots were more memorable than the one late in the second quarter when, with the shot clock winding down, he caught a pass from guard Jordan Poole and drained a 37footer from the midcourt logo.
As Green ran back on defense, he held his followthrough for several seconds as teammates chuckled on the bench. Finally, in the wake of four straight losses defined by wavering effort, the Warriors were having fun again. After closing the third quarter on a 167 run to seize an 11point lead, Golden State was hardly threatened.
By the time Curry’s night ended with 4:46 left, the Warriors were up 11193. It was a convincing enough performance to quiet online chatter about Golden State tanking and reinforce the belief that this team, now one game below .500 with 25 games left, could reach the playoffs — at least, as long as Curry stays healthy.
In the seven games Curry has missed this season, the Warriors are 16. In the 40 games he has played, Golden State is 2218, which speaks to more than Curry’s shooting range. His joy is as key to the Warriors’ success as any 3pointer.
Late in the third quarter, Curry used a mix of crossovers and hesitation dribbles to breeze past three defenders for a layup. As he jogged back on defense, Kerr grinned on the bench. What had seemed so hard in recent days — getting a win over a middling team — was suddenly child’s play.
Center James Wiseman, who labored at times in Curry’s absence, benefited from the spacing Curry provides as he finished with 12 points and a careerhigh four blocks. After the game, Curry complimented Wiseman on “one of his better games of the year.”
The Warriors hope it helped mark a breakthrough of sorts for the rookie. With Curry now back in the starting lineup, perhaps Wiseman — and the rest of Golden State, for that matter — can do something it hasn’t done all season: put together an extended winning streak.
“He changes everything being out on the floor,” Kerr said of Curry. “The game becomes so much easier for the whole team.”