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Steve Kerr confirms Stephen Curry’s bench days over, he’ll start Game 3

New Orleans Pelicans v Golden State Warriors - Game Two

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 01: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-point basket against the New Orleans Pelicans during Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 1, 2018 in Oakland, California. The basket was his first attempt after returning from an injury. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Stephen Curry moved well Tuesday night for a guy that had been out for weeks with a sprained MCL. Curry scored 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, hit 5-of-10 from three, was 3-of-5 on contested shots, and was effective both as the pick-and-roll ball handler and coming off screens. He never really tried to explode off his left leg in his first game back, but he also didn’t need to. He changed the game with his presence.

And Curry is done coming off the bench.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed that on a Bay Area radio show Wednesday (as reported by Drew Shiller on NBC Sports Bay Area).

“Oh yeah, yeah. He’ll start Game 3,” Kerr told Damon Bruce of 95.7 The Game. “You don’t keep a guy like that on the bench for long ... now that the focus shifts and there’s a few days until the next game, he’s gonna play a few more minutes -- so he’ll be in the starting lineup.”

Of course, this is not a surprise.

The potential surprise is what does the starting five look like with Curry in this series. We know four of them will be Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant, but who gets the fifth spot? Andre Iguodala? Kevon Looney? Kerr is not going to tip his hand on that one, but the big four with Iguodala were +4 in nine minutes of court time in Game 2, so that would be the logical choice.