Stephen

Curry

Curry couldn’t quite re-capture the magic of Wednesday’s thrilling 35-point performance. In Friday’s loss, he totaled as many turnovers as made field goals in his 36 minutes, finishing with under 20 points on inefficient shooting. The four-time NBA champion also couldn’t make much of an impact as a passer in this game, as Phoenix did a good job defensively to slow down the entire Golden State offense. Curry finishes his 17th NBA season averaging 26.6 points and 4.7 assists. While his numbers were impressive, he only played in 43 regular-season games, which undoubtedly hurt his fantasy production.

Curry came alive late in this game in a way that only he can. He shot 10-of-14 from the floor in the second half and scored 27 points after the break to help bring the Warriors back. He also played 36 minutes, which is the most he has played in a game since December. Curry missed most of the second half of the season with a knee injury, but it didn’t seem to limit him in this game. He’ll need to have another big performance in Phoenix on Friday for the Warriors to advance to the playoffs.

Kerr made the comments following Sunday’s regular-season finale, a loss to the Clippers in the first of two meetings between the teams over four days. None will surpass 40 minutes, but the question is how far beyond 30 minutes the veterans will go. Curry’s 29 minutes on Sunday were the most for him since returning from a case of runner’s knee, and Porziņǵis has logged 29 minutes just twice since joining the Warriors. As for Horford, he has exceeded 30 minutes just twice this season, most recently March 10 against the Bulls.

The plan going into Sunday’s regular-season finale was for Curry to play no more than 30 minutes. He logged 29 against the Clippers and looked relatively sharp, shooting 50 percent from the field and recording a complete stat line. The Warriors knew what their playoff seed would be; Curry approaching 30 minutes was about ensuring his body was ready to take on more as the team heads into the postseason. The Warriors return to Inglewood on Wednesday to play the Clippers, with the loser heading home and the winner visiting either Phoenix or Portland on Friday.

Curry got the starting nod for the first time since January and played 27 minutes. He didn’t contribute to the level that he’s capable of, but it was good to see him back in the starting unit. The Warriors have clinched the 10th seed in the West, so don’t expect Curry to suit up in the season finale. However, he should be at full strength for the play-in tournament next week.

Curry came off the bench in his first two games back from a knee injury that sidelined him for two months. He’ll start on Friday, bumping De’Anthony Melton to the bench. As for playing time, Curry’s minutes limit may reach the high-20s as he prepares for the Play-In Tournament. Joining Curry in the starting lineup are Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porziņǵis.

Curry is out for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, and the expectation of many was that he’d miss one of the Warriors’ next two games. Kerr confirmed as much with his pregame comments on Thursday, saying that he expects Curry to play in Sacramento. There’s also hope that Kristaps Porziņǵis (illness) will play against the Kings.

Between Curry’s recent return and the Warriors being locked into the No. 10 seed in the West, it’s unsurprising that he won’t play in one of the team’s next two games. If Gui Santos can play, he’ll take on a prominent role within the Warriors’ offense. Pat Spencer and LJ Cryer should see their minutes increase as well.

While Curry played in Tuesday’s win over the Kings, Santos did not due to his lingering pelvic contusion. Malevy Leons filled in for the latter but was not productive enough to merit streaming in any active fantasy league. Thursday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Warriors, so Curry is likely to miss one of them for injury management reasons.

Curry continues to play on a minutes limit of about 25 minutes per game. The 28-year-old point guard isn’t playing 40 minutes, but he’s still having a big impact on the game. Curry had two four-point plays in the second half of the second quarter against the Kings on Tuesday. That helped the Warriors to a 66-53 halftime lead and eventually the win.