Golden State Warriors Guard Stephen Curry Returns in Loss to Phoenix Suns

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry made his return to action last night after a lengthy absence, but it wasn't quite the triumph his fans may have hoped. The Warriors fell to the Phoenix Suns 125-113 on Tuesday, and Curry hit only eight of his 22 field goal attempts for 24 points.

Through the contact 👌

» https://t.co/ocDF2EHeJH pic.twitter.com/jSwgRzb9sU
— VotePoole4AllStar (@warriors) January 11, 2023

Curry has been unavailable since injuring his shoulder in mid-December. The Warriors managed to win six of their 11 games to keep their record at .500, but the hope was Curry could lift them back to the Western Conference's elite teams upon his return. Evidently, he may still need time to find his footing.

In his 26 games before his injury, Curry averaged an impressive 30.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game with an efficient 50.0% field goal percentage. However, that exceptional play did not equate to team success: the Warriors were 14-15 before Curry's exit.

Now at 20-21, the Warriors currently find themselves eighth in the Western Conference standings. If they're to have any chance of defending their 2021-22 NBA championship, they'll need to at least get out of the play-in tournament, and that will require the team around Curry will to improve.

The Warriors visit the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.