Steph Curry returns to Warriors in Miami

The Warriors star rejoined the team and did a workout Monday, but he’s listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game

Steph Curry is back with the Golden State Warriors. Whether he’s able to play Tuesday against the Miami Heat is still up in the air.

Curry stayed home for the first matchup of the Warriors’ six-game road trip, getting treatment for a pelvic contusion he suffered against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. The team fell to the Atlanta Hawks Saturday without Curry in the lineup, but they get two days off before facing the Miami Heat Tuesday night.

That’s a big game because Jimmy Butler is returning to the city where he spent nearly six seasons before forcing a trade at the deadline. Butler’s exit from the Heat was contentious in the way that the United States’ exit from the Kingdom of Great Britain was contentious, with plenty of potshots and Instagram videos instead of muskets. The game got flexed to national TV in anticipation for a highly-charged return. Heat fans are expected to greet Butler with boos and signs when they arrive late in the first quarter, and continue the harsh reception until the Heat fall behind in the fourth quarter or traffic looks bad or they feel sleepy.

Coach Steve Kerr thinks that’s part of why Curry is eager to return by Tuesday night.

“I think Steph feels an obligation always to be there for his teammates,” Kerr told reporters Monday. “He’s an amazing teammate.”

Of course, he also wants to help the Warriors keep winning in what has become a pitched battle to avoid the play-in tournament. Golden State is one half-game ahead of the 7th-place Minnesota Timberwolves and a game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers. All three teams have won eight of their last 10 games. The Warriors are also just two games back of the slumping Memphis Grizzlies for 5th place, meaning all 11 of the Warriors’ final games could be crucial.

The other factor may be the unusual amount of rest days on this road trip. The team got a two-day break after the loss to the Hawks. They’ll get two more days off before playing the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Curry’s health is the team’s top priority, but the Dubs might feel better about rushing Curry back if they know he gets almost three days to recover before their next game. Because his injury is essentially a bad bruise, there’s less risk of aggravating it in the same way as if it were an ankle or knee sprain.

Curry will officially be “questionable” until tomorrow’s update, but don’t be surprised if he’s on the court Tuesday night in South Beach. The real question is whether the fans will arrive before he’s subbed out for the first time.