Superstar guard Stephen Curry has made a successful return from injury on Monday, playing 24 minutes in the Golden State Warriors' 125-112 win over the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.
Curry was managed through the game which included not starting the second-half, but the 2x MVP still finished with four made threes and an equal game-high 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor.
The Warriors eventually prevailed over a pesky Wizards team on Monday
Curry's biggest highlight came at the end of the first-half when he let his defender fly by on a clever pump-fake, before drilling the corner three to beat the buzzer and allow his team to take a 54-45 lead into the locker room.
The Warriors had built that nine-point advantage after the opening period and were in control of the game for the majority. The Wizards did fight hard and reduced the margin to five early in the final period, inspired by a hot shooting stretch from rookie Kyshawn George.
The result was never truly under threat though as Golden State's depth again came to the fore. Ahead of an incredibly difficult three game stretch against the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach Steve Kerr again went 12-deep in his rotation with no player seeing more than 29 minutes of action.
As has been the case through their now 6-1 start to the season, the Warriors spread the scoring load with another six players in double digits. Curry's 24 points just shaded 20 from Buddy Hield, with the veteran sharpshooter continuing his impressive form with 7-of-14 shooting and five rebounds off the bench.
Draymond Green was highly efficient in his team-high 29 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three-point range on his way to 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Jonathan Kuminga (15) and Moses Moody (10) also joined Hield in double figures off the bench, with Golden State outscoring Washington 60-33 in bench points.
Former Warrior Jordan Poole displayed his positive early season form with 24 points, three assists, three steals and four blocks in nearly 34 minutes, but shot just 2-of-10 from three-point range. Golden State kept Washington to 10-of-43 (23.3%) shooting from beyond the arc as a team, though they weren't too much better themselves at 32.4% (12-of-37).
Brandin Podziemski left the game early in the second-half and didn't return due to illness, but otherwise it appears the Warriors got through unscathed as they prepare for the most daunting three-game road slate a team could possibly face.
