Steph Curry return lifts mood of Warriors, fans in forgettable season

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The surge of energy racing through the building Thursday night was unlike anything felt at Chase Center this season. There have been several nights when passion was high, but this was an intoxicating blend of anticipation and enjoyment.

This vibe came courtesy of Steph Curry, whose long-awaited presence was palpable and whose hold on the Warriors and their fan base is nothing less than spellbinding.

It almost didn’t matter, and certainly didn’t sting, that the Warriors were 121-113 losers to the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Winning, on this night, was secondary to the reunion.

This was about Curry reclaiming his space at the top of the squad’s hierarchy, lighting a flame under his teammates and electrifying the sellout crowd, which roared during pregame introductions, peaked on Curry’s first 3-pointer and, somehow, found a higher peak on his second triple, a zany catch-and-fire 32-footer that barely beat the shot clock.

“For sure, we’ve been together for 11 years and obviously, I’ve never been out this long while the season’s going on,” Curry said. “With the new building, and being on the sidelines cheering for so long, and just trying to get back out there, it’s definitely fun.

“Again, a lot of energy in the building and I appreciate that so much in terms of getting to play in front of the best fans in the league.”

Don’t misunderstand, though. Along with the love and happiness on display, the Warriors, with Curry leading the charge, also issued a warning to all those teams that have battered Golden State so relentlessly and remorselessly this season.

“To me, it feels like it’s ‘on’ again,” coach Steve Kerr said.

The Warriors lost on the scoreboard, but were victorious in the effort game, playing with more visible scrap and grabbing more total rebounds (52-39). That was a direct result of Steph’s influence.

Curry was slotted to play between 24 and 28 minutes. He played 27:14, scoring 23 points, equaling Damion Lee for team-high, but also contributed seven assists and seven rebounds.

Solid enough numbers, given that Curry had missed 58 games spread out over 127 days. But his impact was immeasurable.

“It was kind of a cool moment, with just the excitement and the energy in the building,” Curry said. “I didn’t really know what to expect, or how to handle the minutes restriction and all of that. I was trying to make my first shot and just get comfortable out there.

“But throughout the 27 minutes, it felt good. I was excited to be back out there.”

When the Warriors were rallying in the fourth quarter, wiping out a 14-point deficit and tying the game (95-95, with 9:39 remaining), Curry raised his arms, exhorting the crowd, which responded by standing in unison.

The slow serenade of “WARRRRRiors, WARRRRRiors, WARRRRRiors,” -- heard so often at Oracle Arena during the glory years of late -- went rolling through the new building.

It was, for a few moments, like year-old times. All because their Steph was back in the house.

“A lot of energy,” Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins said. “You could just sense it as soon as we got out there. In the middle of the huddle, someone said it felt like the first game of the season just because the energy was so crazy throughout the whole game.”

[RELATED: How Steph's teammates embrace adjustment to his return]

For one of few times this season, the bulk of the crowd hung around until the very end, not so much because there was rapidly thinning chance to win, but because Curry was on the court and, well, the spectacular is always possible.

With 19 games remaining on the schedule and a near-zero chance of reaching the playoffs, the Warriors and their fans can focus on those moments that offer a glimpse of the future.

“We are now through the woods, as I said before the game,” Kerr said. “We can now start looking ahead and use these games to prepare ourselves to try and reach a high level of play.”

Assuming relatively good health rest of the way, the worst of the season is over and will be relegated to history. Tomorrow is starting to materialize, and with this team, every positive evolution always begins with Curry.

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