On the same day that the Lakers signed some guy who was stupid enough to eat edibles on a team plane, another Western Conference juggernaut—okay, fine; former juggernaut—got a much-needed jolt in their lineup.
On Thursday, the Warriors welcomed back Steph Curry, who’s missed the last 58 games with a broken left hand, and he got right back to tearing new assholes as soon as he hit the floor.
I mean, sure; the Warriors are still sorry as hell and got thumped 121-113 by a menacing Raptors squad that’s now firing on all cylinders after surviving its own rash of injuries, but Curry’s long-awaited return—which included his much-needed 23 points, seven dimes and six boards—gave both his teammates and fans alike something they haven’t had all season: hope.
“Our fans could see it, they could feel it,” coach Steve Kerr told ESPN after the game. “We’re a different team, obviously, when he’s on the court. So, great to have him back, and it’ll be fun the next week or so to continue to build up his minutes and get him back into the groove.”
Curry broke his hand on Oct. 30 in a collision with lumbering oaf Aron Baynes of the Phoenix Suns, and the Warriors have been a steaming pile of NBA lottery-bound dog shit since, limping to a league-worst 14-49 record. But again, though the two-time NBA MVP showed signs of rust in 27 minutes of play, he sprinkled just enough brilliance throughout the game to remind the rest of the league that they’re in deep shit next season once his Wonder Twin Klay Thompson returns and the Warriors are fully healthy.
“He makes everyone great,” teammate Andrew Wiggins said. “He makes everyone play better. He finds open men. He’s like the most unselfish superstar. That’s a good way to put it. He attracts so much attention that he’s going to find the open man, and he makes the right play, so it was fun.”
And of course, Twitter had nothing but love for the 31-year-old assassin, too.
Welcome back, Steph. You were missed.