Even a quarter of Stephen Curry would be a high cost for the Golden State Warriors these days.
The Warriors star, who left Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons early with right knee soreness, finished with a team-high 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting (4-for-10 from 3-point range). After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he didn’t think Curry’s knee injury was “anything serious,” but the team will know more on Saturday.
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Curry returned to the locker room toward the end of the third quarter, grimacing and limping slightly after an awkward contact with -1. He remained in the locker room at the start of the fourth quarter, and the Warriors quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Despite Curry’s injury, the Warriors held on, narrowing the deficit to three points midway through the fourth quarter, but ultimately lost to the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons 131-124.
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Curry has been dealing with knee issues this week. He reportedly first felt something in his knee on Saturday and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game because of right knee soreness, but still played that day. However, he did miss Monday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the second leg of a back-to-back.
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He played 28 minutes against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday and was cleared for Friday’s game, but the injury apparently returned.
As usual, a serious injury to Curry would be the last thing the Warriors need right now. The team is still learning how to navigate life without Jimmy Butler, who is out for the season with a torn ACL last week.
Friday’s loss means Golden State is now 2-4 since Butler’s injury, with losses to the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks. Currently, they are eighth in the Western Conference with a 27-33 record and have a 3.5-game buffer to avoid a second play-in game.
