SAN FRANCISCO – Jimmy Butler likes to refer to Steph Curry as “Batman,” an otherworldly talent who can bail the Warriors out of many a tough spot.
After a five-game absence caused by a left quad injury suffered on Nov. 26 against the Rockets, Golden State’s superhero is set to return during Friday’s home game against the Timberwolves.
The Warriors will have had four days off between Sunday’s blowout victory in Chicago and the matchup with Minnesota, thanks to the NBA Cup schedule.
Curry spent the last three road games working out with the Warriors’ medical staff in the Bay Area and practiced with the team at Chase Center on Wednesday afternoon.
“For Friday, he’s day-to-day, but it’s looking good,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Curry was a full participant in practice, and was involved in the team’s scrimmage.
The team survived Curry’s absence, going 3-2 and putting up a surprising 2-1 record on the most recent Eastern Conference trip to Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago.
Unheralded 29-year-old guard Pat Spencer was a revelation as an athletic and energetic pick-and-roll guard, scoring in double-figures in each of the last four games while starting twice.
Spencer will head back to the bench as Golden State’s franchise player returns, but still expect him to get plenty of minutes.
“I think it’s the shooting, the threat from long range,” Kerr said of Spencer. “He’ll be in the rotation for sure.”.
In his 17th season, Curry has remained an elite player. He is averaging 27.9 points and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 39.1% from behind the 3-point line.
He has scored at least 30 points in seven of the 16 games he has played this season, including three 40-point games.
His next 40-point game will break a tie (44 games) with Michael Jordan for the most games with at least 40 points scored since turning 30.
This was the second absence of the season for Curry. He missed three games in October and early November with a severe illness that had him bedridden for several days.
Frontcourt veteran Draymond Green (right foot) is expected to be available for Friday’s matchup with Minnesota, the first time the teams have played since the Timberwolves eliminated the Warriors in five games during the second round of last spring’s playoffs.
Green missed the past two games with a right foot sprain suffered during the Philadelphia loss, which is also the last game Al Horford played. Horford has played in only one game since Nov. 21 against the Trail Blazers, and will remain out for Friday with sciatica.
While Curry, Green and Horford are expected to receive minutes, Jonathan Kuminga’s status is uncertain.
The forward, who signed a two-year, $46 million extension this summer, was a healthy scratch for the Warriors in Chicago, drawing speculation about his future with the team. Kerr said he spoke to Kuminga before practice, and is willing to be “coached hard.”
“I can imagine it’s not easy for him, and we’ve talked about the situation,” Kerr said. “My desire for JK is for him to become the best player he can be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it’s here or elsewhere.”
