Stephen Curry made a strong return from his ankle injury, scoring 24 points in just 24 minutes and 5 seconds during Golden State’s 125-112 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. The Warriors were careful with their 36-year-old star, who had missed three games.
Curry started the game but did not play in the second half’s opening minutes. However, he was on the court when the game was close in the final moments.
“We had a minutes restriction on him at 24,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s tough with a minutes restriction to start and finish. So that was our solution.”
The Warriors (6-1) have had a strong start, even with Curry missing a few games. Their bench players have been a big help, scoring 60 points on Monday.
Golden State’s schedule hasn’t been too difficult yet, with games against teams like Portland, Utah, the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans, and Houston before facing the Wizards.
Now, they face a tougher part of the schedule, with upcoming road games against Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City.
“That’s why this was important to get through this game — where I could play aggressively but know I wasn’t stretching to too many minutes,” Curry said. “The rest of this road trip is tough.”
Curry started the game with a 3-pointer on his first shot. He didn’t score again until he hit another 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half, giving Golden State a 54-45 lead.
Curry injured his ankle in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on October 27. An MRI showed he had a left peroneal strain.
“I feel good,” Curry said. “It’s still early in the year, you’re trying to build up your endurance. My ankle feels fine. It’s just, you don’t want to be in a position where you get fatigued and put yourself in jeopardy.”
