SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors needed Tuesday night to go differently. Back home at Chase Center after six days on the road, they had a chance to right the ship against a Chicago Bulls team sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Instead, they blew an eight-point lead in the final 90 seconds and fell 130-124 in overtime. Two losses in two nights against teams nowhere near playoff contention .

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors

The defeat dropped Golden State to 32-33, below .500 for the first time since mid-December . The Warriors are ninth in the Western Conference, half a game behind the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers with the play-in picture tightening by the day .

Through all of it, one question keeps coming back. When does Stephen Curry return?

It’s the question that haunts every postgame press conference, every locker room interview, every fan conversation. And after Tuesday’s collapse, it’s the question that Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t avoid — even if he didn’t want to.

PORZINGIS OPENS UP ABOUT CURRY

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After the loss to Chicago, Porzingis didn’t shy away from the subject.

“I want to play with Steph. Who doesn’t?” Porzingis said. “I know he’s doing everything he can to be back with us as soon as possible. And obviously, it’s a completely different team with him, so hopefully I get that chance soon” .

It was a measured response from someone who understands the situation better than most. Porzingis was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline specifically to play alongside Curry . The pairing has not happened yet. Curry has been sidelined since late January with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, and the timetable for his return remains unclear.

The frustration is understandable. So is the belief.

Draymond Green revealed recently that Curry has been texting the locker room throughout his absence, telling teammates “Keep going. I know it’s tough, but promise you, I’m coming back” . The message has landed. His teammates are holding on, waiting for the moment the roster finally gets a chance to show what it can do.

WHAT PORZINGIS SHOWED THE WARRIORS

Kristaps Porzingis, Warriors

Tuesday was Porzingis’ third appearance in a Warriors uniform and his second in four days — a milestone in itself. The last time he played two games that close together was before Thanksgiving .

He finished with 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-of-13 from the field and 2-of-6 from three. Four rebounds, two assists, plus-4. The production was meaningful. The conditioning work continues.

There are still moments where the movements are tentative, where you can see the rust. He spent much of the night working the perimeter, which partly reflects where his conditioning is right now. But what Porzingis brings — the size, the shooting gravity, the ability to create mismatches — was visible throughout.

Green has already articulated what changes when Curry enters the equation. Defenders will have to account for two people coming off him, which opens up everything Porzingis does in the post. The spacing that Curry creates isn’t just about his own shot — it’s about the oxygen he provides for everyone else on the floor.

The bench as a whole delivered on Tuesday. LJ Cryer, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos and Porzingis each scored 17 points, with the second unit outscoring Chicago’s reserves by 28 . That depth is real. It still wasn’t enough.

THE COLLAPSE THAT SUMS UP THE SEASON

Let’s walk through what happened Tuesday night, because it tells you everything about where this Warriors team stands without its franchise player.

Golden State led by eight with 90 seconds remaining in regulation. Eight points. A two-possession game. In the NBA, that’s as close to a guaranteed win as you can get — especially at home, especially against a sub-.500 team.

But the Bulls, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, kept fighting. They chipped away. They hit shots. And when the buzzer sounded to end regulation, the score was tied, and the Warriors were headed to overtime for the second time in as many nights.

In the extra period, Chicago outscored Golden State 12-6. The Warriors looked gassed, mentally and physically. They had nothing left.

Two losses in two nights. Two blown opportunities. Two reminders that this team, as currently constructed, is not equipped to close games without its superstar.

THE MATH GETS UGLIER

The Warriors are 32-33. Below .500. In a Western Conference where mediocrity is punished and every game matters, that record is a death sentence if it doesn’t improve.

They’re ninth in the standings, but the margin for error is microscopic. Half a game behind the Clippers for the eighth seed. A game and a half ahead of the 11th-place Phoenix Suns. The play-in tournament is their reality, but even making it to the play-in is no guarantee.

Nineteen games remain. Nineteen chances to climb, or to fall.

Without Curry, the Warriors have proven they can compete. They’ve proven they have depth, heart, and fight. What they haven’t proven is that they can close. And in the NBA, closing is what separates contenders from pretenders.

WHAT CURRY’S RETURN WOULD MEAN

Porzingis put it simply: “It’s a completely different team with him.”

That’s not hyperbole. That’s fact.

With Curry on the floor, defenses warp. Help defenders creep a step higher. Screens become weapons. The entire geometry of the game changes. For a player like Porzingis, who thrives on space and mismatches, Curry’s gravity is oxygen.

For the bench unit that carried the scoring load Tuesday, Curry’s presence would mean easier shots, cleaner looks, and fewer possessions where they’re asked to create something out of nothing.

For Draymond Green, who has looked lost at times without his running mate, Curry’s return would mean restored order, clear roles, and the chance to be the defensive anchor he’s always been.

Curry has been texting his teammates, promising he’s coming back. They’re holding on to that promise. But promises don’t win games. Points do. And right now, the Warriors are running out of both.

THE TIMING QUESTION

When does Curry return? The Warriors have been frustratingly vague.

The initial timeline suggested a mid-March return. That’s now. March 11. Curry remains out. The team says he’s making progress, but “progress” is a vague term that could mean anything from “he’ll play tomorrow” to “he might be out for weeks.”

What we know: Curry is dealing with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, a condition that affects the kneecap and can be notoriously tricky to manage. What we don’t know: when he’ll be cleared for contact, when he’ll practice, when he’ll finally step on the court in a game that matters.

Porzingis said he hopes to get that chance soon. So does everyone in the Warriors organization. So does every fan watching this season slip away.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This season was supposed to be different. The Warriors made moves at the deadline, acquiring Porzingis to pair with Curry, hoping to squeeze one more championship run out of a core that has already delivered four.

But injuries have decimated those plans. Jimmy Butler is done for the season with an ACL injury . Al Horford has been banged up. Gary Payton II has missed time. And Curry, the engine of everything, has been watching from the sideline since January.

The belief in the locker room hasn’t wavered. Green’s competitiveness hasn’t dulled. Porzingis is getting healthier with each game. The bench is overperforming.

But belief and health and overperformance only take you so far. Without Curry, this team has a ceiling. And Tuesday night, they hit it again.

THE VERDICT

Two losses in two nights against teams with nothing to play for. Golden State will wake up Wednesday morning knowing they cannot afford many more of those.

The belief is there. The determination is there. Porzingis is getting better with each game, and the bench is overperforming expectations night after night.

But without Curry, this team is not what it could be. The Warriors know it. Porzingis said it plainly.

“I want to play with Steph. Who doesn’t?”

The question hangs in the air, unanswered, as the season ticks away. The Warriors are running out of time. They’re running out of games. And they’re running out of chances to prove that when Curry finally returns, it won’t be too late.

Hopefully, the wait is almost over.