This season, Steph Curry played just 43 games for the Golden State Warriors. It's the third-fewest games he's played in a season in his career, only trumped by the 2011-12 season when he had major ankle issues, and the 2019-20 season that saw him play just 5 games due to a broken hand.

With the 27-game absence that was brought on by a lingering knee issue that just kept getting worse as the calendar flipped from February into March, many around the league were wondering if Curry should just be shut down for the rest of the season. The Warriors were slipping badly, and finishing the season well under .500 meant a minimal chance for them to make noise even in the Play-In Tournament.

However, Curry cast all of that aside and made his return with five games left in the regular season, and though he continued to look hampered, not being nearly as explosive or athletic as a whole, it all became worth it on Wednesday night. At the Intuit Dome in the 9 vs. 10 Play-In game, Curry put on a show and made a killer go-ahead three to capture the win for the Warriors over the Los Angeles Clippers.

After the game, Curry wasted no time pointing to this type of game and individual performance as the reason why he decided to come back instead of being shut down for the season.

"We talked about it all the time. If we have any type of chance or hope to extend our season, I want to be out there to experience it. You don't imagine it going like it did tonight, but just proud of how we all fought. Guys that were out there withstanding the runs that (the Clippers) went on, the leads they built up, and we always had an answer. Play after play after play, Al (Horford), (Kristaps Porzingis), Gui (Santos) hit some big shots, you kind of just stay with it. I was able to contribute. That was fun. That's what you live for right there."

Year 17 in the NBA, 38 years old, slowed by a knee injury that he went back to the locker room for in the first quarter of this very game — none of it mattered, as Curry just continues to amaze.

Curry came into this game as one of the greatest players to ever participate in the Play-In Tournament in its short lifespan. Over the four games the two-time MVP has played in the six years the tournament has existed, he's been lights out.

Curry held the highest points-per-game average in Play-In Tournament history, averaging nearly 34 points per game thanks to performances of 37, 39, and 38 in three of his four games.

That didn't change in the slightest on Wednesday night. Despite a very slow start — Curry had just 8 points on 2-9 shooting from the field in the first half — the Chef turned up the heat in the third and fourth quarters, shooting 9-11 in the second half and scoring 16 points in the third and 11 points in the fourth.

Overall, he ended with 35 points and 4 assists and was simply remarkable on the offensive end, warping the game around him not just with his shotmaking, but drawing the attention of defenders both on and off the ball to get open looks for his teammates.

The Warriors will need Curry to be the Play-In hero one more time on Friday as they head to Phoenix to face the Suns with the 8th seed in the Western Conference and a trip to the playoffs on the line.