One point! A one-point loss! A heavyweight debut! The player the Rockets fear most

Durant drew defenders by holding the ball, passed it to Sengun, who then scored a near-game-winning layup against the height-deficient Warriors.

Ultimately, the Rockets narrowly defeated the Warriors 117-116 on the road, securing a six-game winning streak and setting the longest winning record for this season.

In this game, Durant contributed 31 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocks; Sengun had 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks; Amen added 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists.

The Warriors welcomed Curry's return, who contributed 29 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists in approximately 26 minutes as a substitute. His last regular-season game as a substitute dates back to 2012.

This 38-year-old superstar had been absent for over two months due to persistent knee injuries.

After the game, when asked about facing the Rockets in his return match, Curry stated: "It feels like going back to the past."

As a former teammate, Durant is very familiar with and wary of Curry, claiming that the Rockets originally controlled the game until the Warriors deployed player number 30.

Rockets reporter Bradeaux even tweeted passionately praising Curry: "No player in NBA history has consistently and repeatedly devastated the Rockets like Curry."

Indeed, without Curry's return, the Rockets wouldn't have needed to struggle so hard against the Warriors in this game; the former's influence is evident.

However, a loss is a loss. The Warriors currently hold a record of 36 wins and 42 losses, ranking tenth in the West, trailing the eighth-place Clippers by four wins. They have only four regular-season games left, facing the Kings, Lakers, Kings, and Clippers respectively.

Clearly, the Warriors will enter the play-in tournament as the tenth seed in the West, with only one chance—any loss means going home.

Under the play-in rules, the winner between the seventh and eighth seeds advances to the playoffs as the seventh seed; the loser then faces the winner between the ninth and tenth seeds for the eighth playoff spot.

Fortunately, the Warriors now have Curry back, boosting their confidence, and will be more poised to stand out in the fierce play-in competition, striving for the last playoff ticket.

If the Warriors actually make it to the playoffs, they would face the defending champion Thunder in the first round, which would require hoping for a miracle.