Durant, Rockets spoil Curry’s 29-point return from injury

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alperen Sengun made the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left on a pass from Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets held off Stephen Curry in his return after being sidelined more than two months for a 117-116 victory Sunday night.

Curry missed a long, straightaway 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Gary Payton II scored the go-ahead basket on a goaltend by Amen Thompson with 20 seconds left, but Durant took charge on the other end. He finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against his former team, making a crucial 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining.

But he missed with 38 seconds left, and Draymond Green found a cutting Payton in the key.

Curry dazzled down the stretch to score 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting in 26 minutes after missing 27 straight games because of a right knee injury — his first action since Jan. 30 against Detroit.

Curry’s driving layup made it a one-point game with 1:27 left then Sengun converted a three-point play moments later only for Curry to hit a 3 on the other end.

Curry entered to a warm standing ovation and greetings on the big screen — he also expressed his gratitude on video — when he entered with 4:54 left in the opening quarter. It marked the first time he has come off the bench in a regular-season game since March 7, 2012, against Memphis. He last was a reserve in Game 4 of the first round of the 2022 playoffs during the Warriors’ last championship run.

Things briefly got heated midway through the second quarter when Green and Jabari Smith Jr. exchanged words and had to be separated. Smith wound up with 23 points and nine rebounds while Sengun added 24 points and Thompson 18 and seven assists.

Curry and younger brother Seth played together for the first time when Stephen re-entered the game at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter, the first time two brothers have been together in Warriors franchise history, according to Elias.

Seth Curry appeared in six preseason games for Golden State in 2013 then played for the team’s G League Santa Cruz Warriors that year — with the brothers playing all of 100 seconds together during the fourth quarter of two games during that ’13 preseason.

Up next
Rockets: Visit the Suns on Tuesday night.

Warriors: Host the Kings on Tuesday night.

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