Stephen Curry was forced to face a different reality in his return from a broken left hand, playing in short spurts and forced to attain to a minutes restriction. The Golden State Warriors got their star back on Thursday in a 121-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors, but the ebb and flow to his game weren't there, considering he was taken out of the game twice after burying crowd-frenzying 3-pointers.

“The bad [part] was just having to play through short bursts because I felt better than I expected,” Curry admitted. “I felt like I could have played more minutes. Gotta stick to the plan just this first game, but I felt like I could have played more minutes.

“That was the hardest part to kind of deal with, I think I got subbed out I think twice after making a shot. No reaction from coach as I was scowling at him on the way by.”

Curry memorably was taken out shortly after canning this four-point play as the Warriors crept back into the game.

Perhaps not a move Steve Kerr would have made any other time, but the edict from the top is health first — one that he abided by on Thursday.

Curry made only 3-of-12 from distance, and it might take him some time to find the range over the next few games. He's shooting a rough 24.5% from deep through five games after burying 40% or more of his shots from beyond the arc in his first 10 years in the league.