{"id":701383,"date":"2026-04-06T13:25:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/701383\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:25:21","slug":"warriors-steph-curry-drops-notable-quote-on-kevin-durant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/701383\/","title":{"rendered":"Warriors’ Steph Curry Drops Notable Quote on Kevin Durant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 31: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on December 31, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

TThe Golden State Warriors<\/a> got Stephen Curry<\/a> back on Sunday night at Chase Center. They got 29 points<\/a>, a stunning fourth-quarter comeback, and a deep three at the buzzer that came agonizingly close to ending the night in celebration.<\/p>\n

They did not get the win.<\/p>\n

Golden State fell 117-116 to the Houston Rockets<\/a> when Curry\u2019s deep three from straightaway at the buzzer missed long, sending the Warriors to their fourth straight loss. The performance was everything the crowd had waited 27 games to see. The win, unfortunately, was not.<\/p>\n

Curry Opens Up on Durant Showdown\"\"<\/p>\n

GettyFormer Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n

What made Sunday\u2019s game unique went beyond the comeback. It was a reminder of what Curry and Kevin Durant<\/a> once were together, now playing on opposite sides.<\/p>\n

Durant finished with 31 points<\/a> and was the best player on the floor for Houston down the stretch. Curry matched him bucket for bucket in the fourth quarter, dragging the Warriors back from the brink with the crowd rising on every possession. Two former teammates. Two franchise cornerstones. Going at it again.<\/p>\n

Curry did not let the moment pass without acknowledging it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still crazy we\u2019re doing it at this level at this stage in our careers,\u201d Curry said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The quote carried genuine weight. Curry is 38. Durant is 37. Both are still capable of carrying their respective teams in the biggest moments of a game. The history between them adds a layer to every matchup that no other pairing in the league can replicate. Sunday was another chapter in that story.<\/p>\n

Durant had his own moment of appreciation after Curry\u2019s buzzer attempt nearly broke Rockets hearts.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooked great when it left his hands,\u201d Durant said<\/a>. \u201cI was a little nervous seeing that ball in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Curry\u2019s Return Looked Like\"Stephen<\/p>\n

GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n

The night did not start smoothly. Curry came off the bench to help manage his minutes, entering the game with 4:54 left in the first quarter to a standing ovation from the Chase Center crowd. His first sequence produced a flailing miss and a travel violation.<\/p>\n

He was unbothered.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst run was rough,\u201d Curry said<\/a>. \u201cSecond run was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, Curry found his rhythm progressively. He scored seven points in the final six minutes of the second quarter, then 11 in the third and another 11 in seven fourth-quarter minutes. He finished 11-of-21 from the field and 5-of-10 from three in 26 minutes of action<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Warriors outscored the Rockets by 12 points in the 26 minutes Curry was on the floor. They were outscored by 13 in the 22 minutes he was not. The split tells the entire story of what his absence has meant.<\/p>\n

Steve Kerr<\/a> was direct in his assessment after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can just feel it,\u201d Kerr said<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re back in the mix. We\u2019re back in the fight with Steph. His rhythm is also our rhythm. He changes everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Comeback That Almost Was<\/p>\n

The Warriors trailed by 14 points with under five minutes remaining. What followed was the kind of run that only happens when a team believes it can still win.<\/p>\n

Golden State scored 15 of the next 18 points, with Brandin Podziemski<\/a> and De\u2019Anthony Melton<\/a> hitting threes to pull the crowd back into it. Curry cut through the lane off a Draymond Green<\/a> pass and laid it in to pull within one. Then Gary Payton II<\/a> was goaltended on a layup, the basket counting and putting Golden State ahead with 20 seconds left.<\/p>\n

Alperen Sengun<\/a> answered with a go-ahead layup off a Durant find with 11 seconds remaining. The Warriors pushed the ball up the floor without calling timeout, and Curry danced through two defenders before launching a 30-footer from straightaway.<\/p>\n

It missed long.<\/p>\n

Podziemski finished with 18 points, Gui Santos<\/a> added 15<\/a>, and Payton contributed 14<\/a>. Green recorded 12 assists<\/a> as Golden State finished with 34 on the night. Sengun had 24<\/a> for Houston and Jabari Smith Jr.<\/a> added 23<\/a> alongside Durant\u2019s 31.<\/p>\n

Final Word for the Warriors<\/p>\n

The loss hurts. A 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter, a lead with 20 seconds left, and a buzzer-beater that rimmed out. That is a tough way to lose.<\/p>\n

But Curry is back. Kerr said he will enter the starting lineup at some point in the coming days, with Al Horford<\/a> also expected to return from a calf strain by the weekend. Four regular season games remain before the play-in begins.<\/p>\n

Curry made his feelings on the immediate future clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m looking forward to is Tuesday<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tKeith Watkins<\/a> Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Warriors\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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