Seth Curry made his long-awaited return after missing more than three months with a painful sciatica issue, and he wasted no time reminding everyone why he’s still a lethal shooter. In just 12 minutes off the bench Monday night in Salt Lake City, Curry dropped 13 points (including two threes) as the Golden State Warriors (32-32) fell 119-116 to the tanking Utah Jazz (19-46).
Jazz guard Elijah Harkless couldn’t believe what he saw, asking Curry mid-game: “How you come in and make shots right away?”
Curry could only smile postgame while recounting the moment:
“There was like a month where I really couldn’t move,” he said of the injury timeline. “I was just laying at home. And then once the pain went away I was able to rehab and try to get all my movement back, but it’s been tough… I just had a minor pain in my back, it got worse, worse, and then it just hit its tipping point.”
The 35-year-old (who led the league in 3-point percentage last season at 45.6% with Charlotte) looked sharp immediately, providing a much-needed scoring spark for a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry (knee, still out), Jimmy Butler (long-term), and several others.
Coach Steve Kerr was thrilled with what he saw:
“Seth was great. It was really fun to have him out there. He can light it up in a hurry.”
Defensive Collapse Overshadows Positives
Despite the offensive lift from Curry and strong nights from De’Anthony Melton (22 points in 20 minutes), Gui Santos, and others (eight Warriors in double figures), Golden State’s defense was alarmingly soft. The depleted Jazz shot 48.2% from the field and played with far more urgency and hunger than the visitors.
Melton called it out postgame:
“Sometimes going against us is teams’ Finals. It’s a big game for some dudes. I think they notice we got dudes down too. They came out there and they was free flowin’ and they was firing and they was aggressive… They was trying to play for their lives so I think they played with a little more urgency and a little more hunger and fight that we did.”
The loss dropped the Warriors back to .500 and behind the LA Clippers for the No. 8 spot in the West. They’re now 5-10 in games without Stephen Curry — a stretch that’s tested depth and resolve.
Injury & Availability Updates
- Seth Curry: Probable → played (limited minutes, strong debut)
- Moses Moody: Wrist sprain (shooting hand), MRI confirmed; status unclear for Tuesday vs. Chicago
- Al Horford & Kristaps Porziņģis: Expected to play Tuesday (both rested/illness-related absences Monday)
- Will Richard: Ankle, missed last four; expected back Tuesday
- Stephen Curry: Knee re-evaluation coming later this week; no firm return timeline
Kerr didn’t sound overly concerned about the loss lingering, but the defensive effort was a clear step back after recent strong showings. Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago Bulls offers a chance to bounce back — with Melton now cleared to play both ends of a back-to-back for the first time this season, and potentially more bodies returning.
Warriors Nation, Seth Curry’s return was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating night. How encouraged are you by his instant impact? Can the team fix the defensive slippage before it costs them in the Play-In push? Drop your thoughts below — the final stretch is here, and every game matters!