The Warriors contemplated giving Steph Curry a rest in Dallas on Friday night. However, after feeling well following the Houston Rockets game, Curry received the green light from Rick Celebrini. Motivated by their standing in the rankings, the Warriors saw a potential opportunity to secure the eighth seed if they could defeat the Mavericks.

With this in mind, Steve Kerr decided to increase Curry’s playing time. He reinserted Curry early in the fourth quarter and extended his minutes to 36, a level rarely reached by Curry during regular regulation play. Typically, Curry averages around 32 minutes, and Kerr dismissed what he deemed as a “national story” when he limited Curry to 29 minutes and 51 seconds in a close loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last month.

However, Curry’s 36 minutes in Dallas hinted at a shift in strategy. The Warriors dialed up their efforts with a plan to subsequently scale them back. As a result, Curry was rested for Sunday’s home game against the Jazz. The team believed they had enough energy reserves to handle a struggling Utah team, yet they were also unconcerned about the potential consequences of a home loss. Rather than overextending Curry in a bid to secure a slightly higher seed, they were more comfortable settling into the 10th spot in the standings.

It’s logical. The Warriors recognize that their position in the Play-In bracket is inconsequential; without a significant surge from Curry, who recently turned 36 and has experienced a slight decline in shooting performance compared to his usual standards, they won’t make much noise in the postseason. Over his last 15 games, Curry has averaged 24 points on 44 percent shooting, with a 38 percent success rate from 3-point range.

While these numbers are respectable, they fall short of the dominant performance the Warriors need from Curry to excel in the Play-In tournament and pose a threat in a playoff series. Consequently, they decided to give him a break to recharge his batteries. This season, Curry has already played in 71 games, his highest total since the 2016-17 season when he was 28 years old. Kerr noted signs of Curry’s fatigue, evident in his movement, judgment, and shooting percentages, which could lead to turnovers and defensive lapses.

In Curry’s absence, a significant portion of offensive responsibility shifted to Klay Thompson. Since mid-February, Thompson has been among the league’s top 3-point shooters and felt particularly confident on Sunday night. He exploded for 13 points in the first quarter and a total of 25 in the opening half, catapulting the Warriors to a comfortable lead that they maintained throughout the game.

Thompson concluded the game with 32 points in just 28 minutes, taking 23 shots. Since the All-Star break, he has made 91 of his 224 attempted 3-pointers, ranking second in terms of makes. Additionally, among the three players closest to him in terms of made 3-pointers—Curry, Donte DiVincenzo, and Luka Doncic—Thompson is the only one shooting above 40 percent from beyond the arc.

However, the more significant storyline of the night was Jonathan Kuminga’s return. After sitting out the last six games due to tendinitis in both knees, Kuminga stated that he finally felt comfortable enough to clear himself for a comeback. Kuminga had participated in a few scrimmages during the past week, and Kerr noted that he observed Kuminga engaging in a rigorous workout session on Saturday.