SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State's Stephen Curry made a triumphant return from a left foot sprain on Saturday as the Warriors, led by Jordan Poole's 30 points, routed Denver 123-107 in an NBA playoff opener.
All-Star guard Curry, sidelined since March 16 with the injury, had 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the floor (3-of-6 from 3-point range) with three rebounds, four assists and a steal over 22 minutes off the bench as the host Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
"Everything was smooth for the most part," Curry said. "It was nice to get back out there, to feel the playoff vibe again. It was nice to just be out there with my guys. It was a step in the right direction."
Curry said he had no expectations about when he might start again.
"I can hopefully provide a lot of energy off the bench," Curry said. "We have to keep things simple, be decisive, have confidence in each other. JP is a part of that now."
Poole hit 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range in his playoff debut.
"It was good to get the first one under the belt," said Poole. "Just taking what they gave me, being patient and trying to be as aggressive as possible."
Klay Thompson added 19 points and praised Poole, saying: "He's incredible, a star in the making. He's just going to keep getting better."
Other NBA playoff openers Saturday saw the Utah Jazz outlast Dallas 99-93, Philadelphia defeat Toronto 131-111 and Minnesota upset Memphis 130-117.
Curry started 0-for-5, got his first basket on a goaltending call off a drive to the hoop and played 12 minutes in the first half.
"I like the way he approached the game," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He found his rhythm as the game went on. It was a really good first game back for him and will set the table for what's to come."
Having Curry back was a thrill for Thompson, who missed more than two full seasons with injuries before returning to Golden State in January.
"He's still Steph Curry and he still made huge shots for us," Thompson said. "The threat of him being out there is the best. It makes us a championship team."
The Warriors closed the first half on an 18-4 run for a 58-47 edge and pulled away in the third quarter.
"The key stretch was the end of the second quarter," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said. "We can't beat ourselves and the Warriors in the same game."
Serbian big man Nikola Jokic, last year's NBA Most Valuable Player, led Denver with 25 points.
Agence France-Presse
