Durant: “As Soon as No. 30 Checked In, Everything Changed” – Curry Keeps Amazed
Stephen Curry comes off the bench for the first time since 2012: his 29 points and the comeback aren’t enough for the Golden State Warriors against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets
Despite the return of Stephen Curry after a 27-game absence, the Golden State Warriors fall to the Houston Rockets, who prevail 117-116 in a tight finish.
For Curry, it was an unusual comeback, coming off the bench for the first time since 2012: in 29 minutes on the floor, No. 30 recorded 29 points on excellent shooting splits (11/21 from the field and 5/10 from three), immediately reestablishing himself as the engine of Steve Kerr’s system.
The game was elevated by the head-to-head matchup with former teammate Kevin Durant, who led the Rockets with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
They put No. 30 in and got back into the game so easily. It’s the end of the season, and both teams want to be ready for the playoffs, so it was a good test. I’m happy we were able to win
Kevin Durant
That’s how Durant commented postgame, emphasizing how difficult it is to contain Curry despite months of inactivity. On the other side, praise also came from Steph: impossible to forget the memories of two NBA titles won together in 2017 and 2018.
A competitor like that, one of the greatest ever… you go back and forth and get inspired by his level, and I’m sure it goes both ways. Obviously, we have great memories together as teammates. It’s still crazy that we’re able to do this at this level, at this stage of our careers; he’s at least two years older than me
Stephen Curry
The loss – the fourth straight for the Warriors – confirms that Golden State (36-42) remains stuck in 10th place in the Western Conference. While their Play-In fate now seems sealed, the form shown by Curry is the only real positive sign for hopes of a postseason push.
On the other side, Houston (49-29) continues its pursuit of home-court advantage. The Rockets sit just one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets (third and fourth seeds), hoping for a slip from their rivals in the final four games of the regular season.