PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s been roughly two-and-a-half to three weeks since Sixers sharpshooter Seth Curry returned from his COVID-19 absence, and it seems like he’s finding his groove.
"Finally getting out there, getting my legs back a little bit," Curry told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Amy Fadool after the Sixers' 119-111 come-from-behind win in Sacramento late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning. "Been putting a lot of work in the weight room and on the court, just trying to get my flow back. And it felt good to get out there and get a win."
While excellent defense in the second half was the main reason the Sixers were able to rally — holding the Kings to 20 points each in the third and fourth quarters — Curry was instrumental elsewhere, scoring 22 points on seven of 13 from the floor and four of six from three-point distance, one of his specialties. Sixteen of Curry's 22 came in the first half, when Sacramento had momentum.
"(Seth) kind of saved us in that first half," head coach Doc Rivers said.
Curry's 22-point night happened three days after his 11-point output in a win against the Nets this past Saturday at Wells Fargo Center.
These last two performances, especially Tuesday night against Sacramento, have been encouraging. Before the Brooklyn matchup, in the Feb. 4 loss to the Trail Blazers, Curry didn’t play in the second half. He wasn’t feeling well, and Rivers said he looked tired, so they were being cautious by keeping him out after halftime. In that Feb. 4 game, and against Charlotte on Feb. 3, Curry went scoreless.
His point totals prior to that were 9 on Jan. 31, 12 on Jan. 29, 2 on Jan. 27, 7 on Jan. 25, 14 on Jan. 23, and 15 on his return Jan. 22.
It’s been up and down, and mostly down, which is why his game against Sacramento was so encouraging.
Following the win over the Nets this past Saturday, Curry admitted to having some off and on fatigue since he returned to the lineup. He said he was trying to get his body and mind right as he worked through this ramp up after missing six games — one of them because of a non-COVID injury.
"It’s a work in progress," Curry said after Tuesday’s shootaround session. "Every day I feel a little bit different. It’s just a work in progress in trying to up my routine and up my lifts and my workouts off the floor, to try to get back in game shape. I think every night I learn where I’m at as far as game experience. Every time I get on the floor for a game, I feel like I learn more about my body and where I’m at.”
While Curry said it’s frustrating that he’s got to work himself back into game shape during the season, he acknowledged the uniqueness of this season amid a pandemic, and how his campaign hasn’t been the only one affected for virus-related reasons. He said he’s got to be smart about how he manages his body so he can help the team in the postseason.
The 18-7 Sixers are 14-0 when all five starters, includig Curry, play. His shooting and three-point ability makes him very important to the success of this team. If he plays against the Kings as well as he did late Tuesday/early Wednesday, that’s a good sign.