Stephen Curry is officially back, and the Golden State Warriors are about to flip the script on the 2025-26 season.
After missing 27 straight games with a stubborn runner’s knee injury, the four-time champion is returning to the lineup Sunday night against the Houston Rockets. This isn’t just a feel-good comeback — it’s the exact spark Golden State needed heading into the Play-In Tournament, and head coach Steve Kerr just made it crystal clear: the Warriors are coming to win.
During his pregame presser, Kerr left zero doubt about the plan. While Curry will play tonight, the approach is calculated, aggressive, and designed for maximum impact with minimal risk.
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“The plan for tonight would be shorter bursts,” Kerr stated. “We’ll see on the minutes. First game back, he’s not playing 48 minutes, right?”
Kerr confirmed Curry is fully cleared and “on pace” with no expected last-minute changes. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the superstar’s minutes will be tightly managed, but the message from the coaching staff is unmistakable: Curry is back to lead this team when it matters most.
With just five games left in eight days and no back-to-backs on the schedule, the Warriors have a realistic window to re-integrate their leader without burning him out. That’s critical, because Golden State has been ravaged by injuries all season. Curry has appeared in only 39 games, while season-ending blows to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody left the roster thin when they needed depth most.
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But now the cavalry has arrived.
On Saturday, Curry opened up about the frustrating recovery process. At first, he expected to miss just a week or ten days. Instead, the injury proved far more stubborn.
“It was more of a mental thing at first,” Curry admitted. “I didn’t know enough about it… Every time I got on the court or tried to push it that first month, you knew it wasn’t healing as fast as you thought.”
There was nothing to do but let his body heal. Now, that patience is about to pay off in a big way.
With Curry’s elite scoring punch returning at the perfect moment, the Warriors suddenly look dangerous again. Steve Kerr’s measured yet decisive game plan — short, explosive bursts from the greatest shooter of all time — sends a clear warning to the Rockets:
Golden State is done waiting. The Splash Brother is back, the plan is locked in, and the Play-In push is officially on.
No questions left.