After two weeks on the sidelines, Stephen Curry finally returned to the court Friday night. The four-time NBA champion came back from his quadriceps injury in fashion, delivering a strong performance with 39 points. However, his efforts were not enough to lift the Warriors past Minnesota. But shortly after the loss, Steve Kerr made a significant announcement regarding Curry’s fitness.

“He looked great. I mean, just the movement, the flow. I asked him how he was feeling after the first eight-minute run in the first quarter. He said, ‘I feel great.’ So I thought he looked really good,” Kerr told the reporters after the game.

Indeed, Curry looked in great rhythm on Friday, as he clocked in 32 minutes, which will be the new ceiling for the 37-year-old for the remainder of the season.

“Yeah. I mean, short-term and long-term,” Kerr said when he followed up by asking him whether the 32-minute mark will be the minute cap for Curry during the upcoming games.

This comes as a result of the Warriors having a jam-packed first portion of the season, with them having to travel to several cities for back-to-back games.

In fact, because of their hectic schedule, Stephen Curry previously missed several games due to illness. So far this season, Curry has already missed nine games. So, it’s only right that Kerr would want to take precautions with the franchise cornerstone. More so, because there’s still a significant portion of the season left before the playoffs.

The Warriors’ head coach has been quite vocal about the 82-game season taking a toll on the players, something which he believes to be the reason for all these untimely injuries to key players. And could you blame him? After all, the Warriors have struggled big time with injuries this season, with everyone from Curry to Jonathan Kuminga to Al Horford spending time on the sidelines.

So, it makes sense for him to be extra cautious with Stephen Curry, as the Golden State Warriors are now in a precarious position with a 13-13 record. If they want to bounce back and go on a winning streak, having Curry would be crucial, to say the least. In fact, that’s exactly what the veteran star showcased through his 32-minute performance on Friday.

Stephen Curry shines in the Warriors’ loss to the Timberwolves on Friday night

Although Stephen Curry’s time on the court might’ve been capped by head coach Steve Kerr, that did not stop the veteran star from displaying his skills. The perennial All-Star, who returned to the hardwood after a long hiatus, erupted for 39 points in just 32 minutes of action. Not just that, Curry also finished the night with five assists and five rebounds.

Although it wasn’t the most efficient effort from the 37-year-old, as he went 14-of-28 from the field, including 6-of-15 from the three-point line, it was still a great comeback game to say the least. However, despite that, Stephen Curry was left empty-handed as the Warriors suffered a 127-120 loss against Minnesota because of a terrible defensive performance.

“Draymond and Al understand how to make their impact, make their presence felt,” Curry said after the game. “But we didn’t have them. We had to figure out a way to get it done. We just didn’t.”

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The Warriors’ superstar suggested that the absences of Draymond Green and Al Horford proved to be costly. Indeed, it did. After all, Golden State entered the game boasting the third-best defensive rating in the league, as they allowed one of their previous five opponents to score more than 100 points. But with Green and Horford out, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle dominated the paint.

The two Timberwolves stars combined for 51 points and 23 rebounds, proving to be the difference between the Warriors and a win. Nonetheless, it was just the first game for Stephen Curry after his injury. So, we can expect things to get a lot better for the Golden State Warriors as they head to Portland next, where they’ll take on the Trail Blazers on Sunday.