Steph Curry, Warriors comment on the star's exciting return in loss to Rockets | NBC Sports Bay Area

How'd you feel?

I felt good. Some good nerves going into it. And obviously coming off the bench, just you're trying to pace yourself physically, mentally to get ready for your runs. And first run was tough. Second run was great. Second quarter, once I got my feet underneath me and obviously the momentum carried. All the work you put in rehab to get through even 26 minutes at that level, I was very grateful for sure.

I was going to say, it felt like the rust definitely shook off as the game went on. How much rust do you feel like is still there right now?

It's not as much rust as it's the endurance. Honestly, you kind of picking and choosing a little bit of your spots to maintain. It's not like you're going 100 miles an hour the whole time. And just feeling it out. But, um, yeah, after I traveled and got my shot blocked the first 2 possessions, I kind of settled in nice. You do all the training and scrimmages and all that type stuff. It's more just getting back familiar with the speed of the game, the physicality, and just embracing it. And that's how the, the game kind of unfolded for me.

How do you— Steph, how did you feel you and Kristaps fit together in your time on the court?

What'd you think of KP?

I thought we, we, we have a lot more to prove out there. You know, I know he was in foul trouble all night, but there were a couple of possessions they tried to blitz me, you know, get somebody in the pocket. KP's space on the floor, defense has to make a decision. So those, more of those reps will be great for not just me and him, but for all of us to, Continue to build chemistry. I'm, you know, I want— like I said, he had foul trouble, so there wasn't much of a rhythm for him, uh, tonight. But that group that we had down the stretch, it felt like old times, just, you know, reading the defense. They overreact to me on the perimeter. GP's going to the, to the bucket. Draymond's finding guys, uh, getting guys in the pocket. It was, it was, it was awesome. Tough finish, obviously, but— I like the way that we finished the game.

You took 20 shots in 26 minutes. I mean, did you come in wanting to, you know, try to shoot yourself into a rhythm?

I actually had no expectations, um, other than knowing Houston and their style of play, style of defense, and knowing kind of where I'd be able to find some good looks. The first quarter was really just, if I saw any daylight, just shoot it and see what happens. And then you kind of started to, Get a little bit more meticulous with each possession. But, you know, when you have fresh legs, it's kind of easy to get going, you know, knowing that you only have a 6-minute stretch. You can kind of, you know, take full advantage of those minutes, shots included.

You have— I mean, you know what type of condensed week you have before the play-in. What do you want to accomplish over the next 4, 3 games? maybe you'll play? And how quickly are you trying to get your minutes back to, you know, play-in level, whatever you'll be in the play-in?

I think, uh, I'd say you've got to be smart and, and do the right things for the right reasons. And I'm sure next game will look very similar to this one. And then you kind of continue to assess how you feel moving forward and make, You know, getting the right decision. So all I'm looking forward to is Tuesday, probably be the same kind of, kind of flow and rhythm. And hopefully it's, you know, more of the same. And then we kind of take it from there.

Steph, what was it like being able to play with Seth tonight out there?

Oh man. That was special. And we've both had a very difficult year, you know, honestly him more than me with, Injuries, and I was joking, calling us the rehab brothers because it's been like that all year. But to have that moment coming out of a timeout and talking about our matchups, and I was having flashbacks to Charlotte Christian High School my senior year, his sophomore year. It was the last time in an actual game. I know he was on our training camp roster in 2013, but last time we actually played a game together. My mom was in the stands. She probably didn't have any more memory in her phone from taking all the pictures and videos. So it was, that was a dream come true, to be honest. It hadn't really sunk in yet, except when I came out the locker room just now. Seth is very serious about taking this jersey I have on me. So I knew he'll take good care of it for sure.

Did it bring you back even further than high school, bringing it back to the backyard? And just when do you think that it will sink in when you guys can bring back the memories years from now?

Uh, I mean, yeah, all of our basketball journey from growing up watching my pops play. And I think there's this video of us in Toronto when we were up there shooting around on the court as kids. Like, basketball has been a part of our whole lives and it's what we love to do and The fact that, you know, at this stage of both of our careers that we've had this opportunity, even though this is what, game 77, and it's the first time actually playing together, you, you definitely take a moment to, to reflect for sure. And, you know, when it is all said and done down the road, I'm sure we'll, we'll put the pictures up from the night and talk about it.

Steph, did you, Figure there would be no timeout there after their made basket and just kind of just go?

Yeah, we like— we didn't have a play call because we thought we were going to stop, but the, the usual kind of reaction there is to try to get, you know, they had Sengun out there, was to try to get him in a pick and roll and see what they were going to do. But everything kind of got a little stagnant at the top of the key. I haven't watched the possession to see where there might have been a better option. But it seemed like there was a wall at the 3-point line and I couldn't figure out exactly where to go. But there's no regrets. There's, you know, you, you like the matchup with, you know, their lineup out there thinking that you can get a good shot with whatever it was, 11, 12 seconds left. So, you know, tough, tough finish for sure. But proud of the way we fought down the stretch.

And would you consider this meaningful basketball?

We're building towards it. We're going to be having— we have 2 meaningful games, hopefully down the stretch, but this is meaningful basketball in the sense of preparing ourselves for that moment. It's not like we can just sleepwalk through these last 4 games and not focus on details that'll help us win a do-or-die game and then do it again. So yes. You can kind of feel it in the arena too. There's a different vibe.

How'd it feel to go toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant, especially at this point in your guys' careers?

You know, it's— competitor like that, all-time great like that, you go, you know, back and forth and you're inspired by his level. I'm sure the same, you know, vice versa. And we obviously have great memories together as teammates, but Just, it's still crazy we're doing it, you know, at this level, still at this, you know, stage of our careers. And he's 2 years ahead of me. So, um, I don't know any other words other than just, just kind of, uh, a gratitude of, you know, you still have the, you know, battles ahead that, you know, greats, we look forward to.

Steph, I'm sure you don't take anything for granted, obviously, at this point in your career, but After 27 games, take me through the emotions of the day. You came out, felt like you were kind of like a prize fighter in the pregame and getting ready, and then just the emotions of the Jumbotron and then hitting some buckets and pulling out a shimmy shake too.

Um, you know, it's Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday. This has been a special day to reflect and appreciate again what I get to do every day on a daily basis, the gifts God's given me to be healthy, you know, fight through this This rehab stint and be able to get back to, you know, the court and enjoy myself. There were a lot of nerves all day. My family supported me at home and I was a nervous wreck, you know, trying to pass the hours before I got to the arena. But, you know, once you get back into your routine, you've been doing it for so long, muscle memory takes over, the adrenaline takes over and— I appreciate the fans and the reception and just the buzz that was in the arena. Because, you know, that's what you— you know, at a certain point you won't be able to tap into that. So, very grateful. It was a beautiful day. And now I can kind of settle into how we're going to finish, you know, the year.

Steph, you kind of just mentioned the vibe of the arena with everyone out there, the fans being excited. But then also when you think about having to watch the last 27 games, With your team being out there, did it feel different, like a different type of performance put out there on the floor? I mean, the team talked about the fact that when you come back, it's easier to play. Did it feel like that? Did it seem like that, the game kind of going that way?

I mean, yes and no. Like, one thing I didn't want was just because I'm out there, it to be like an AAU game where everybody's just running around trying to give me the ball. Like, we need to play, you know, sound, solid, disciplined basketball. And I felt like we got into that. And again, we were down, I think it was double digits in the 4th quarter. And to battle back like that, that's you tapping into that will to win, even though we didn't get it done. That has been the hardest part of this last 2 months. So there's games where, you know, the game is hanging in the balance and, you know, sometimes we struggle to score or struggle to close games and you feel kind of helpless in that, Rob.

So.

And it's not just me, it's everybody. Like I was talking about that, that group that finished, we, we were in lock, in unison. It was, it was kind of beautiful to watch, beautiful to be a part of, even for us to have a, you know, a 1-point lead with less than 20 seconds left. So the crowd was kind of feeding off of that.

I mean, obviously very different energy out there maybe than the last few games. What was it like To be on the sideline for the kind of the waiting for it, then to see him get out there and then see him do some things that we've seen him do.

Yeah, I mean, you can just feel it. We're, we're back in the mix, you know, we're back in the fight with, with Steph. And, uh, you know, that's a hell of a team. They've been really hot lately and, um, fully healthy. And, um, you know, we, uh, we took them down to the last shot, obviously. So felt good about the effort. The process, I mean, 10 turnovers, 34 assists. We played really well offensively, just couldn't get that stop there at the end, but the guys were fantastic.

He had 20 shots, I think, in 26 minutes.

I'm sorry?

Steph had 20 shots in 26 minutes. You like it? It seems he's really trying to get back in rhythm.

Yeah, and there's— I don't think there's a tougher defender in the league for him to have his first game against than Thompson. Thompson. So that's quite a test. Steph looked amazing. He's worked really hard for this. You can see, you know, it doesn't take much for him to find his rhythm. And his rhythm is also our rhythm, all the off-ball stuff that we get as a result of, you know, his movement. We got a lot of easy layups. Gary got layups, a big one near the end based on, you know, the attention to Steph. So he changes everything.

Was it a tough decision to bring him off the bench? I know it was probably about managing minutes, but—

Well, he and Rick talked about it and, you know, the minutes, it was going to be, you know, 24. We went over a couple minutes, obviously. But he just decided he didn't want to start and then sit for a long period of time. So he just said, let's play the last 6 minutes of each quarter. He and Rick made that decision, brought it to me, and fine with me. So what we did was we, we moved our other rotations around a little bit. We wanted to get Draymond and Steph together for obvious reasons, so we changed some of the other rotations to fit Steph. But obviously this won't last for long. He'll be in the starting lineup soon, but I'm not sure when just based on minutes.

Steve, you kind of touched on a little bit, but the spacing With Steph back, just how does that change, I guess, not just with— not just for him, but just for the entire team in terms of—

Yeah, it changes dramatically. I mean, you, you pull a defender out, you know, near half court on pick and rolls with Steph and just opens up the middle of the floor. You saw Gary get, um, get so many lay-ins tonight. Um, you know, a lot of that was just him diving off pick and roll, Draymond finding him, Steph finding him. So he makes the game easier for everybody, for sure.

What did, what did you want to see?

What kind of action did you want to see executed on that final possession?

Well, we didn't want to take the timeout because we wanted to keep their defensive guys on the floor. They're, you know, that lineup on the floor. You take the timeout, they just put all their Dobermans in and switch everything. And it's really, really hard to get a good look. So What was the play call? I haven't seen a replay yet. My gut is our spacing wasn't great. I think I saw 3 guys on one side. We wanted to give Steph a high screen, you know, pulling their weaker defenders in. And he got a decent look, but it's probably a good clip for us to have for, you know, these last games and the play-in just to go over that again. I mean, you know, I never really like to take timeouts in that situation if there's time. I'd rather have the chaos that ensues and the matchups that you want. And so the process was what we wanted. I'm not sure we got spaced very well. I'll have to look at it.

And then they didn't get to share the court too much tonight, but how important is it for you guys for Steph and Kristaps to develop chemistry?

Yeah, I mean, the good thing with Kristaps is that he's a really easy guy to play with for anybody. He fit in immediately with our team as soon as he got here. I don't think it's, you know, it's going to take a long time for those guys to feel comfortable. It's, you know, both guys space the floor, both guys are really smart. They'll find each other. There's a couple of unique things that, that our team does, you know, with Steph that he'll get used to quickly. But other than that, it's, it's just basketball.

Speaking of Chris Stapps, 5 fouls in the 3rd quarter and then fouled out pretty quickly in the 4th. What'd you sort of see from him there with the foul trouble?

Well, Shengun, you know, went inside and, you know, we were trying to guard him single coverage. So he got a couple fouls there. There was one, I think it was his 4th foul early in the half that it was, it was, he, I think he grabbed Kevin on the rebound. That was the one that hurt because If he doesn't commit that foul, he doesn't get into foul trouble and we're okay. So he knows he— that was one he's got to let go. It's just a long rebound Kevin got and he grabbed his arm for his 4th foul. 2 free throws for Kevin. So, uh, yeah, Kristaps, it wasn't a great night for him, but, um, Sengun's really tough, tough matchup. Um, and, uh, we got, you know, another one in 2 days, so Kristaps will be right back out there.

Steve, you talked right off the top about the belief. You were back in the fight with Steph. Can you just further explain the, the how palpable it feels with Steph and how he can kind of change the belief in the mood that you guys feel like?

You could just hear it, right? And you can hear it with the crowd. And there's a different energy in the building, um, and there's a different confidence with our team. He just infuses the whole team with, with confidence. And, you know, again, um, Being able to play off of him makes the game much easier for everyone else. So there's just a momentum and a confidence, and, you know, he's Steph Curry for a reason.

Going 11 deep tonight, I mean, how crucial is this last week here to fine-tune, you know, rotations and combinations going into the play-in?

Yeah, well, we're hoping to get Al back. We'll see. You know, he's not going to play Tuesday, but You know, these next few days we'll ramp up his workouts and, you know, maybe some 3-on-3. And if we could get him back, you know, for, for a couple of games just for some rhythm and, and rotation stuff, then that'll, that'll be helpful.

Hey, Charles, how'd it feel to get, get out on the floor tonight and run with the guys and everything?

I mean, it felt great, man. You know, like I said, this is what I was looking for, this opportunity. So Um, it felt great just being out there, being with the players and stuff like that. So it was good.

It seemed like you got a good rhythm there. What was sort of working for you tonight, especially playing with Steph?

Uh, to be honest, man, I was so wide open, man. You know, they were telling me that because after I got the dunk and they called the timeout, uh, GP was telling me, yo, I know you didn't know you was gonna be wide open. I was like, trust me, bro, I didn't know, bro. But he was just telling me, yo, just you playing with Steph, you just gotta be ready, you know, because Steph attracts a lot of like players and stuff like that. So, you know, just like I said, you see the second pass I fumbled it. So it's like I just gotta stay, stay ready knowing he's gonna attract players and just stay ready to finish, finish, finish the layup or something.

You guys checked in together in the first quarter. He obviously got that standing ovation. What did it feel like to come in the game with him and feel that ovation in the crowd?

Oh yeah, it felt, it felt good, man. You know, just, just the energy and stuff like that. You said he gave me the first pass and that was a dunk. Well, it felt great, man. Just Seeing the crowd, you know, this is the city and stuff. So it just felt good being a part of it.

And then how much does your experience with Santa Cruz this year kind of help you, you know, for Golden State?

Yeah, it's been great, man. You know, like I say, it's mostly, most, most. So I just really just got here last night and I got here this afternoon. So it was literally just the same place, just same thing. Most, you know, I met the J-League coaching staff here. So it was like just same staff and everything is just the same. So it was, it was good being out there and I just, I was already up to speed and it was great.

What has the team sort of communicated to you about what they expect from you the next couple of weeks?

Uh, today, so, you know, I just got here today, so it was just, you know, just telling me, um, Steph Curry was just telling me what he wants from me, you know, just what I do, you know, just, uh, keep doing what you do that got you here, you know, don't stop being, um, stop doing what you, what you do, you know, just keep going, keep rebounding, keep running the floor, keep blocking shots, you know, you do What you do best, and I got you. Just keep doing it. And that's what that's what I did out there today.

Hi. Hello. Here. Sorry.

Okay.

I was curious. What's your first reaction? You know you're gonna play for Warriors tonight.

I mean, it was it was great, man. You know because it was it was literally last minute. So I didn't I didn't even think I was gonna play today because they were trying to get everything signed and. you know, quick. So I was just asking my agent, just let me know if I'm going to play because I got here late last night. So I had to get my rest. And, but I just, I found out this morning I was playing and everything. So it was, you know, I was, my mindset, I was already like thinking I'm going to play. So it was, it was good. It was, it was good. Hopefully, you know, we didn't get the win, but it was a good game out there today.

Sorry. What's your experience You experienced the stadium, the vibe, especially when Stephen comes on the court.

Oh, like I said, man, the vibe was great, man. Like you said, you could see the energies of, you know, the arena was, was, was loud. It was great, the energy. So just me coming into the game with him, you know, I felt it and I felt the energy. And obviously just going into the game, you just obviously want to play hard and just, you know, the energy was great, man. Like you said, the guys and, um, the coaching staff and everything was, it was a good vibe around.

Now, obviously haven't been here long. Like you said, you just got here today. But when you look at the impact that Steph has on the floor, given the looming implications of the playoffs coming, you know, on the other side of this, does it feel like there's a different outlook on what can be accomplished here late in the season now that he's healthy and he's back?

Yeah, I mean, of course you could see how, you know, um, uh, the game today was a close game. We could have won. The game could have gone any, any way. We could have won You know, tonight. But like I said, man, having him back is a plus. It's huge for the team. And like you see, man, you could see the vibe of the team. Like, it was different today, man. And the energy of the arena, the energy of the players is like we could have won that game. But I mean, it went the other way. But I'm saying, like, you know, like there's a belief right now that we could do something for sure this year.

Seth, what was it like to finally be out there with your brother?

It was a great moment. Great moment. Just be out there on the same floor for the first time since high school was special for us, special for the family. So yeah, that's really all I can say.

Where does the jersey go?

Oh, that's going in the man cave at home. I got my hands on that right away in one frame. I'm gonna have that forever. So Just try to— yeah, I thought about that before I asked. I went in there and asked E this morning. I said, as soon as the game's over, I'm getting my hands on both of those.

Seth, Steph said that your mom probably doesn't have any more memory on her phone left after tonight with all the videos she took. Just what do you think that this night meant for her, your family, your siblings, everybody?

Um, it's a dream come true.

Dream come true.

I mean, we've played against each other for a while now. Uh, for us to be in the same floor together as teammates was a different dynamic. And I'm sure everybody was watching, um, on the East Coast, stayed up late watching on the East Coast. And, um, yeah, she was over there sneaking pictures when we were both in the hall trying to, trying to get loose. And, um, she was really excited.

What are some of your other favorite, uh, souvenirs, artifacts in your man cave?

I got a few things. I'm not going to divulge it all. But I've been smart. I've been collecting some good stuff.

This may sound like a silly question, but when you think about the players that come up and they're like, wow, I'm playing with Steph Curry, you step out there, that's your brother. But do you step out there and feel that like, wow, I'm playing with the best shooter the game's seen?

Nah, not really. Not really. It's just, I mean, I know, I mean, obviously you see him doing what he did tonight, trying to, Trying to lead our team to a win. But for me, I've watched him for so long. I know different ways. Hopefully over this next week, I can play with him a little bit more and help him out. And one way out there on the floor, I'm just trying to be aggressive and trying to make the game easier for him, spread the floor, be— find ways to help. And that's really my mindset.

You guys have such a condensed timeline here to try to get right for playing week. Does how he looked tonight, 29 and 20, 26 minutes, does that kind of boost the idea of what maybe you guys can still be?

I mean, you kind of know, I mean, who he is and what you're going to get. He might not shoot it the way he did it tonight every night, but he's going to create offense for us. Him, his presence out there does boost everybody, makes everybody's job a little bit easier. You don't have to carry the weight as much. And it is condensed. So, but we got to figure out, That was a good step. We're going— we have a little learning curve of guys who have different roles throughout the season before he came back, and their confidence has grown a little bit, and they have to find ways to continue to keep that up. So, yeah, I mean, it does— I mean, you know who he is, but it also does reinforce some things.

Hi, Seth. Coach Kerst said Stefan is the player can bring the joy back. And you also mentioned about the point is let the fans enjoy the game. Where this ability come from? It's kind of like Curry's family, like born with, or like develop over time?

Yeah, I think in our household, my mom always just drilled in us, enjoy the game, have fun. I mean, God's given us talent to play this game, so you want to go out there and maximize it. It's not that— it's not life or death out there. You want to go out there and have fun. It's an entertainment product. Once you get to this level, you want to go out there and have fun, enjoy yourself, but let— put on a show, let the fans enjoy it. So that's what I always tell myself before the games is to be a light and play with a smile on my face as much as possible. And Steph has done that forever as well.

Steph said he was even dealing with some nerves maybe before getting to the arena, at least. So, I mean, when did you see him first today and what were kind of the emotional state that he was in, I guess, when, when you saw him?

Uh, saw him in the locker room. I mean, just, we both got to the gym, uh, before the game, seemed fine. Um, I didn't see, uh, many nerves, so looked pretty normal to me.

With, but just the injuries that you and Steph have been dealing with this season, was there any doubt that tonight would happen?

Oh, there's definitely some doubt. Definitely some doubt. Like I said, he didn't know if he would be able to come back at all for a period of time there. And myself, it's just a crazy year. I've been dealing with so much. I like, yeah, when we came back, we only had like a week or two left. So there was definitely a lot of doubt, but I think we're both feeling a little bit better now and can close these last few games playing well and getting better and heading into the play-in with some confidence.