Stephen Curry returns to Warriors lineup for pivotal clash vs. Lakers
After missing three games, Stephen Curry returns and finishes with 31 points, making 12 out of 24 field goals.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Golden State star Stephen Curry returned to the starting lineup on Saturday when the Warriors faced the Los Angeles Lakers.
The two-time MVP scored 31 points in Golden State’s 128-121 victory at Crypto.com Arena.
He was absent from the last three games due to a right ankle sprain he suffered late in the fourth quarter in a game against the Chicago Bulls on March 7. Throughout his 15-year career, Curry has grappled with this same ankle injury on multiple occasions, which also caused him to miss three games earlier this season.
Curry, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Thursday, received clearance to return to on-court activities on Tuesday and joined his team for practice in Los Angeles on Friday. An MRI scan taken on his ankle last week showed no structural damage.
In his pregame comments, Coach Steve Kerr indicated that he anticipated Curry would play. However, he wanted to observe how Curry performed in pregame warmups before adding him to the starting lineup. At the time, Curry was ranked 10th in the league for scoring, with an average of 26.9 points per game.
Draymond Green, who missed Wednesday’s 109-99 loss at Dallas due to back soreness, also returned to the lineup.
The Warriors currently hold the 10th position in the Western Conference.
