{"id":700564,"date":"2026-04-06T01:07:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T01:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/700564\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T01:07:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T01:07:32","slug":"stephen-curry-returns-kerr-reveals-minutes-plan-vs-rockets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/700564\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Curry Returns: Kerr Reveals Minutes Plan vs Rockets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t<img width=\"780\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775437650_175_GettyImages-2269454287-e1775181919118.jpg\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" alt=\"Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors\"   decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"Golden State Warriors\" href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nba\/golden-state-warriors\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"215970\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Golden State Warriors<\/a> coach Steve Kerr confirmed that <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"Stephen Curry\" href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/nba\/player\/stephen-curry\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"215972\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stephen Curry<\/a> will return to the lineup Sunday night against the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"Houston Rockets\" href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nba\/houston-rockets\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"215971\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Houston Rockets<\/a>, but emphasized that his minutes will be limited in his first game back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive games in eight days, so with a back-to-back, we\u2019re going to manage it accordingly,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/957thegame\/status\/2040950154170347522?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external nofollow\">Kerr said<\/a>. \u201cThe plan for tonight would be shorter bursts and minutes\u2026 first game back, he\u2019s not playing 48 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kerr added that Curry is expected to play \u201cprobably 25 minutes or so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The update marks Curry\u2019s return after a 27-game absence and provides the clearest indication yet of how the Warriors plan to reintegrate their star guard during a critical stretch of the season.<\/p>\n<p>Warriors Prioritize Controlled Return<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5350166\" class=\"size-inline wp-image-5350166\" data-lazy-load=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2213431339-e1746595940988.jpg\" alt=\"Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, Warriors\" width=\"782\" height=\"441\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5350166\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">GettyHead coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reveals plan for Stephen Curry\u2019s return after 27-game absence.<\/p>\n<p>Kerr\u2019s minutes plan highlights a cautious approach as Golden State navigates a dense portion of its schedule, which includes five games in eight days.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than pushing Curry immediately into a full workload, the Warriors are expected to deploy him in shorter rotations, balancing his impact with long-term health considerations.<\/p>\n<p>The two-time MVP has been ramping up through workouts and controlled scrimmages in recent days, setting the stage for his return to live game action.<\/p>\n<p>Curry\u2019s absence began on January 30, when knee pain forced him out against Detroit. A series of setbacks ultimately stretched his recovery to 27 games, but two successful scrimmages cleared him for full practice and paved the way for his return versus Houston. Before the injury, Curry was averaging 27.2 points, 4.8 assists and shooting 39.1% from three \u2014 production the Warriors have struggled to consistently replace during his absence.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Curry Eager to Return<\/p>\n<p>While the team is taking a measured approach, Curry made it clear he is ready to be back on the court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, I love playing basketball. It\u2019s what I get paid to do,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iGY5kwMIS2g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iGY5kwMIS2g\">Curry said<\/a>. \u201cIf I\u2019m healthy to play and it\u2019s safe to go out there and test it in live action, then all the work I\u2019ve put in will hopefully pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even in a limited role, Curry\u2019s presence is expected to provide an immediate boost to a Warriors team that has adjusted its rotation during his absence.<\/p>\n<p>First Look at New Offensive Dynamic for Warriors<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5839505\" class=\"size-inline wp-image-5839505\" data-lazy-load=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2265870757_495589-e1773838484781.jpg\" alt=\"Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors\" width=\"782\" height=\"440\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5839505\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors attacks the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"Chicago Bulls\" href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nba\/chicago-bulls\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"215969\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Bulls<\/a>\u2018 defense.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday\u2019s game could also offer the first glimpse of Curry alongside <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"Kristaps Porzingis\" href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/nba\/player\/kristaps-porzingis\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"215968\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kristaps Porzingis<\/a>, adding intrigue to his return.<\/p>\n<p>Curry recently <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nba\/golden-state-warriors\/curry-porzingis-first-game-warning\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">pointed<\/a> to the potential challenges the pairing could create for opposing defenses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of talent out there,\u201d Curry said. \u201cHe\u2019s so unique\u2026 I don\u2019t know how people are going to guard our pick-and-roll.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the minutes restriction will likely limit extended stretches together, the debut of that pairing adds another layer to Curry\u2019s return.<\/p>\n<p>Bigger Picture for Golden State<\/p>\n<p>For the Warriors, Kerr\u2019s plan underscores a broader priority \u2014 ensuring Curry is fully healthy for the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>Golden State is focused not only on reintegrating its franchise player, but doing so in a way that builds toward sustained performance in the weeks ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday\u2019s game represents the first step in that process.<\/p>\n<p>And while Curry\u2019s minutes may be limited, Kerr\u2019s message was clear: the Warriors are bringing him back carefully, with an eye on the bigger picture.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/author\/alderalmo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/author\/alderalmo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Warriors\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Stephen&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":695287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3794],"tags":[7,292,194,4066,6,211],"class_list":{"0":"post-700564","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston-rockets","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-houston-rockets","11":"tag-houstonrockets","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-rockets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116355088242046702","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/695287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}