Curry scores 39 in return, but Warriors lose after 39-point fourth quarter

Stephen Curry returned Friday nighttime aft a two-week lack with a quad wounded and instantly looked similar himself, scoring 39 points successful 32 minutes. He deed the crushed fast, recovered his bushed quickly, and astir dragged Golden State backmost from a double-digit shortage late.

However, Curry’s comeback did not hole what has been a shaky Warriors season. Golden State inactive mislaid 127-120 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who played without Anthony Edwards, and the Warriors fell backmost to .500 astatine 13-13 aft allowing 39 fourth-quarter points.

Curry shines, but the decorativeness falls apart

“Our defence fto america down tonight,” manager Steve Kerr said.

The nonaccomplishment was particularly jarring due to the fact that Golden State’s defence has been its identity. Without Curry, the Warriors held 4 of their past 5 opponents nether 100 points and won 3 of those games. They entered Friday with the NBA’s third-best antiaircraft rating. Yet the interior looked exposed with Draymond Green distant for idiosyncratic reasons and Al Horford retired with sciatica. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle made that count, combining for 51 points and 23 rebounds.

“Draymond and Al recognize however to marque their impact, marque their beingness felt,” Curry said. “But we didn't person them. We had to fig retired a mode to get it done. We conscionable didn't.”

A boost for an discourtesy that inactive needs answers

Curry’s beingness is simply a assistance for an onslaught that has struggled astir nights. The Warriors fertile 22nd successful violative rating, and they person been searching for cleaner shots and steadier stretches. Curry tried to supply that spark close away, scoring 10 points successful his archetypal eight-minute stint and firing six speedy shots.

Golden State kept him disconnected its caller three-game roadworthy trip, hoping attraction clip and a Wednesday scrimmage would acceptable him up for a beardown return.

“He looked great,” Kerr said. “Just the movement, the flow. I asked him however helium was feeling aft the archetypal eight-minute tally successful the archetypal quarter, and helium said, 'I consciousness great.'”

Curry took 28 shots and poured successful 14 points successful the 4th quarter, including 3 3s to chopped into the gap.

“Started to consciousness mean again,” Curry said. “So individually, it was a bully archetypal crippled backmost conscionable to get my lungs backmost and consciousness similar myself.”

The standings sting, though. A triumph would person pulled Golden State wrong 1½ games of Minnesota for sixth successful the West. Instead, the Warriors slipped to 3½ back.