PHILADELPHIA >> Steph Curry did his best to will a comeback win, but the Warriors were too thinned out by Jimmy Butler’s absence to pick him up.

Butler missed his first game as a Warrior with back spasms, and the Warriors felt the pain. Golden State won Curry’s minutes by 12 in a seven-point loss.

Curry finished with 29 points and a season-high 13 assists, but Sixers guard Quentin Grimes outshined him with a career-best 44 points on scorching 18-for-24 shooting. The Warriors (32-18) tied the game up late in the fourth after trailing almost the entire night, but couldn’t get over the hump in a 126-119 loss.

The 76ers, who had lost nine straight games entering Saturday night, shot 19-for-33 from deep and got outstanding performances from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele beyond Grimes’ career night.

The Warriors’ season flipped when they traded for Butler. They’d gone through a 7-17 stretch, then suddenly felt like they could walk into any arena and win. Losing him for a game was a test case to see if the vibes they’ve built with him could persist through an absence.

Vibes are easier to come by when Curry’s playing like he is.

A significant Warriors fan contingent in Wells Fargo Center oohed and aahed as Curry pulled up from the logo for his third 3-pointer of the first quarter. The Warriors initially looked unsettled, with three turnovers in the first four minutes, but Curry took control.

Fresh off his 56-point avalanche in Orlando, Curry collected 12 points and four assists in the opening period. When Philadelphia overextended to try to bottle him, he dished to open teammates.

Quinten Post, inserted into the starting lineup for Butler, hit a pair of 3s and got to work on the glass on both ends of the court.

But Butler wasn’t around to keep bench units afloat while Curry sat. In the seven minutes Curry rested between the first and second quarter, Golden State got outscored 18-7. When he checked back in, Philadelphia had some swagger.