Getty Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry looks on during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Golden State Warriors lost more than the game and their win streak against the Celtics on Wednesday. Stephen Curry — who was fresh off a 47-point performance on the night of his 34th birthday — will miss time after suffering an injury at the hands of Marcus Smart.
Per a report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Curry has been diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his left foot that will sideline him indefinitely. However, the league insider did note that imaging “returned negative Wednesday night – meaning no fracture or major damage.”
While it looks as though Dub Nation can breathe a collective sigh of relief that the injury wasn’t worse, the remainder of Curry’s regular season is now in question.
For his part, Jordan Schultz tweeted that Steph would likely miss three weeks of action, which would put his return around game No. 80 or 81. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there’s optimism Curry can return “by the start of the playoffs in mid-April.”
Steph’s Injury Came as a Result of ‘Dangerous’ Play
Curry’s injury occurred with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 110-88 loss. Klay Thompson had gotten a hand on a pass intended for Jayson Tatum, which resulted in a loose ball. Both Curry and Smart, who were standing nearby, reacted by charging for the ball.
At that point, the latter dove onto the hardwood to save Boston’s possession but he landed on Steph’s foot and ankle as a result.
The Warriors star attempted to get up and join the fast break when the ball finally ended up in Otto Porter’s hands but he was noticeably limping and was quickly removed from the game.
“I thought it was a dangerous play,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said postgame.
“A lot of respect for Marcus. He’s a hell of a player, a gamer, a competitor. I coached him in the World Cup a few summers ago. We talked after the game. We’re good, but I thought it was a dangerous play and just let him know.”
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Golden State’s Big 3 Derailed Again
When Draymond Green returned to the lineup against the Wizards on Monday it was a huge moment for the Warriors organization. Outside of Green’s seven-second cameo during Klay Thompson’s January 9 comeback game, it marked the first time in over 1,000 days that the two of them and Curry had shared the court.
The Big 3 was whole again and the results were impressive. Obviously, we’re talking about an incredibly small sample size but in the seven minutes that Steph, Klay and Dray were together, the Warriors outscored Washington by 41.2 points per 100 possessions.
Now, though, it could be playoff time before we see that combination on the floor again. It’s a major blow for a Warriors team that had hoped to reintegrate all of its pieces and rebuild some chemistry ahead of the playoff run.
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