Warriors' Stephen Curry returns vs. Hawks after 6-game absence

OAKLAND, Calif. --Golden State Warriorspoint guard Stephen Curryreturnedto action Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks after missing the past six games with a right ankle injury.

The defending champs went 2-4 during his most recent absence. Curry has sprained or tweaked his ankles on four occasions this season, resulting in his being sidelined a total of 21 games.

His latest scare occurred on March 8 at home while playing the San Antonio Spurs. Curry did not travel with the club for three road games after the injury. ESPN reported Monday that the two-time MVP was targeting Friday's contest to make his return.

Coach Steve Kerr has stated that Curry has "looked good" in his two practices leading up to Friday's game. The training staff assured him that keeping the point guard sidelined would no longer be beneficial.

"I'm feeling good," Curry said after Thursday's practice. "I've had a good two weeks of rehab and kind of taken a patient approach to getting as close to 100 percent as possible, understanding where we're at in the season and the injury that I've had over the course of the last three months.

"When I wake up in the morning, I'll know the difference between my right and the left, but that won't stop me from being who I am on the floor and having confidence in myself when I get back out there."

ESPN also reported that Curry will wear a low-top shoe during the game for the first time since he has had a signature sneaker.

This means one member of the Warriors' Big Four is back in the fold. Kevin Durant (bruised ribs), Klay Thompson (broken thumb) and Draymond Green (pelvic contusion) are still being held out of competition.

But not everything is going well for Curry. At Friday morning's shootaround, he was seen working out while sporting a University of Kentucky basketball jersey. Curry's alma mater, Davidson, lost to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, which means Curry lost a bet to former Wildcats player Kelenna Azubuike, one of the Warriors' television analysts.

Golden State has 11 games remaining on the schedule and is 4.5 games back of the Houston Rockets for the top spot in the Western Conference standings.

Curry is averaging 26.3 points, 6.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds while shooting a shade under 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc.