Stephen Curry‘s return to the Golden State Warriors ended in a loss, but it came with plenty to talk about. Curry was back on the floor Sunday night after more than two months out with a knee injury, and he looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.
He finished with 29 points on efficient shooting including five three-pointers and was the driving force behind a second-half push that nearly erased a 15-point deficit. The Warriors got within one but couldn’t close it out, falling 117-116 to the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
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Kevin Durant made sure the night wasn’t just about Curry. Playing against his former team, Durant put up 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Houston.
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant defends Golden State Warriors guard Stephen CurryCary Edmondson-Imagn Images
(Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)
Late game officiating errors impact Stephen Curry’s return
What made the ending harder to swallow was what came out afterward. The NBA confirmed two officiating errors in the final two minutes that directly affected the result, as reported by Brett Seigel.
With 1:27 left, Amen Thompson was not called for a foul on Curry after a made layup. Then at the 1:10 mark, Sengun should have been hit with a three-second violation. Instead he stayed in the play, converted a layup, drew a foul on Green and converted the free throw. Those two plays swung the game.
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Curry’s return came with a couple of storylines attached. He came off the bench for the first time in a regular-season game since 2011-12, his only other instance being a 2022 playoff appearance.
And for the first time since Seth Curry joined the roster, the two brothers shared the floor as teammates. Seth called it a dream come true afterward, and the moment nearly had a storybook finish.
Gary Payton II gave Golden State the lead with an open layup, putting them up one with under 20 seconds left. Alperen Sengun answered on the other end to flip it back. That left the ball in Stephen Curry’s hands with 11 seconds to go. He used a Draymond Green screen to get open for a three. It didn’t fall. Game over.
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Late-game officiating is always going to draw attention when the margin is one point. For the Warriors, it stings a little more knowing Curry’s comeback night ended on the wrong side of a call the league itself admitted was a mistake.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.