Stephen Curry picked the first NBA Playoff to mark his comeback on the court after being benched for exactly one month due to a sprained ankle. Even though the Golden State Warriors’ star player did not start, the overall performance guided the team to a comfortable victory.
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Here is Stephen Curry’s complete report card:
Curry came off the bench to contribute 16 points in 21 minutes after missing exactly a month with a sprained ligament in his left foot.
The two-time MVP tested it in a scrimmage Thursday, came off the bench and had a minutes restriction. He checked in at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter to a rousing ovation.
Curry missed his first five shots before a layup that went in on a goaltending call against Aaron Gordon 1:14 before halftime, then knocked down a 3 from the top of the arc as the Warriors took a 58-47 lead at the break.
What was missing?
Fans of the All-Star player had a bittersweet evening. Even though many cheered as he took the court once again, some were not pleased to see other Golden State players starting the game while Curry was present.
Curry, unlike most times, was not able to dominate his side’s scoring tally. Four players ranked above Curry in the game against Denver Nuggets. These included: Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson.
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And what about the Denver Nuggets?
Facundo Campazzo, a key player of the Denver Nuggets, was benched by the NBA earlier this week after an on-court “basketbrawl” with Los Angeles Lakers player Wayne Ellington. He averaged 5.1 points, 3.4 assists and 18.2 minutes this season.
Michael Malone, the head coach for the Denver Nuggets said that what happened was “unfortunate”. He added, “Facu sent me a message the other day apologizing for what happened in that Laker game.”