Steph Curry returns from injury with 29 points but Warriors lose to Rockets

San Francisco—Stephen Curry’s long-awaited comeback supplied the signature flair Warriors fans craved, yet it was the Houston Rockets who authored the final, decisive stroke, escaping Chase Center with a pulsating 117-116 victory on Sunday night.

Curry, sidelined since a Jan. 30 injury against Detroit, rejoined the rotation after a 27-game absence and immediately rekindled the building’s energy. The two-time MVP entered with 4:54 left in the first quarter—his first regular-season bench appearance since 2011—and was met with a raucous standing ovation and a tribute on the video board. In 26 measured minutes he canned 11 of 21 shots, including 5 of 10 from beyond the arc, to finish with a team-high 29 points.

“He’s one of the most beloved players in league history, Bay Area history in any sport,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, “and I think a long absence like this reminds everybody how lucky we are to see him.”

Golden State, now 36-42, leaned on Curry’s shot-making and Brandin Podziemski’s 18 points to claw back from a late deficit. A 17-6 burst culminated in Gary Payton II’s layup with 19.6 seconds remaining, putting the Warriors ahead 116-115 and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The advantage lasted eight seconds. Houston center Alperen Sengun, already owner of 22 points, rolled to the middle of the key, took a feed and lofted a four-footer that dropped through the net with 11.1 ticks on the clock, restoring the Rockets’ lead at 117-116.

Golden State called timeout and cleared a side of the floor for Curry. Forced to launch from 30 feet under heavy pressure, his attempt caromed off the rim as the horn sounded, sealing Houston’s sixth consecutive win and dropping the Warriors to the brink of the West’s 10th seed.

Sengun’s game-winner punctuated a 24-point, clutch performance. He was supported by Jabari Smith Jr. (23), Amen Thompson (18) and rookie Reed Sheppard (11).

Former Warrior Kevin Durant, playing his first game in San Francisco since joining Houston, torched his old stomping grounds for a game-best 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists—one dime shy of Smith’s team-high nine.

The triumph lifts the Rockets to 49-29 and within one game of both the Lakers and Nuggets in the jumbled race for third place in the Western Conference. Houston controls its destiny with time running out on the regular season.

Curry’s reintegration will be deliberate. Kerr acknowledged before tipoff that the 36-year-old will not play both ends of the remaining back-to-back sets, and the staff will monitor bursts of minutes closely. Golden State faces five games in eight days to close the schedule, beginning a sprint that will determine their play-in path.

For one night, the storybook script was nearly perfect—until Sengun’s soft push shot and Curry’s final, desperate heave tilted the narrative in Houston’s favor.