Stephen Curry back in starting lineup after missing 2 games

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was in Saturday night's starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets after missing the past two games while recovering from a bruised left shin.

Curry went through a full shootaround Saturday morning at the Warriors' practice facility and said that the shin is feeling better.

"The healing process has been pretty successful," said Curry.

While Curry said the leg has felt better lately, the pain hasn't completely gone away. The reigning NBA MVP was asked where the source of his discomfort is.

"Pretty much my whole leg," he said. "It's just like swelling and stuff that moves around, and you feel it pretty much everywhere, so the impact is on my shin. But I've learned over the past 48 hours where the impact is. It can radiate all over."

If Curry does play Saturday night, it will be without Warriors coach Steve Kerr on the bench. Though Kerr's health has improved markedly since he took a leave of absence on Oct. 2, he's not yet returning to the sideline to coach against the Nuggets.

Curry explained that he had believed he'd play in Friday's win over the Houston Rockets, right up until he arrived at the arena.

"It got better in Houston," he said. "I went out and tried to test it before the game and got some shots up. I felt it pretty much on every move."

Curry also said he thinks he has "turned the corner" in terms of favoring his left leg.

"There's an awareness that something's still healing, but I can do pretty much any move I want," he said.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson said he believed Curry would play Saturday night against Denver but that his minutes would be limited.

"We don't want to kill him," Thompson said. "We just want to have him healthy."