Stephen Curry's return from injury has been everything Golden State Warriors fans hoped for, but Steve Kerr isn't pretending it's been seamless.

Curry scored 17 points with a pair of four-point plays in his second game back from a right knee injury, helping Golden State hold off the Sacramento Kings 110-105 on Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak. The numbers looked fine on the surface, but Kerr had a candid take after the game.

"I thought he looked a little rusty," Kerr said. "I think the second game back, to me, is always harder than the first, when you're coming back. The first one, you get that adrenaline. And I think the other night was such a high-level game."

It's worth remembering what Curry's first game back actually looked like. He put up 29 points against the Houston Rockets in front of a packed Chase Center that was electric from the jump.

He came off the bench in a regular-season game for the first time in 14 years and was greeted with a standing ovation when he checked in. Getting an ovation like that will certainly rile you up. 

The Kings game just didn't have that same juice. It's a different environment, a different opponent, and the novelty of the return had worn off a little. That's probably the most natural thing in the world, but it's still something Curry's going to have to work through.

Curry hadn't played since January 30, and the Warriors went 9-18 without him. Two-plus months away from game action is a long time, and nobody bounces back from that perfectly. Not even Steph Curry. The rust Kerr's talking about isn't a red flag, it's just reality.

What the Kings game did show is that Curry's ability to make plays when it matters most is completely intact. He tied the game at 104 with a three-pointer with 2:38 remaining, then found Brandin Podziemski for the go-ahead three on the very next possession. He's still the same old number 30. 

De'Anthony Melton led Golden State with 21 points and Podziemski added 20, which is exactly the kind of supporting cast production the Warriors need if they're going to make any noise in the play-in tournament. Curry shouldn't be asked to carry the whole load right now, he needs to prioritize continuing to get his legs under him.

Golden State improved to 37-42 with the win and is locked into the 10th seed heading into the postseason. The Warriors aren't in a position to be picky about how things look. A win is a win, and getting Curry more reps before the play-in is what matters most right now. If a little rust is the price of that, they'll take it.