The Golden State Warriors suffered another injury blow on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. Stephen Curry exited early in the first quarter due to a possible abdominal injury.
Yaxel Lendeborg stepped up in Curry’s absence, finishing with a team-high 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Brandin Podziemski added 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, but the Warriors came up short, 115-108.
In addition to Curry, the Warriors have been dealing with injuries to Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and Brandon Williams. Kristaps Porzingis is not with the team and is expected to get traded before the deadline.
Steve Kerr Commends Warriors’ Effort
Speaking to reporters in his postgame media availability, Steve Kerr shared an update on Stephen Curry’s injury. The two-time MVP is set to undergo an MRI, and they are hoping that his injury is not serious.
Kerr also praised his team for staying in the game and making things interesting against the Houston Rockets.
“We competed really hard,” Kerr said. “I didn’t feel like we could ever quite get over the hump, but I kept thinking we were going to because I think the group is really looking connected and really competitive. … The competitive spirit of this team is fantastic. I think we have to keep working on our offensive execution.
“I’ll watch the tape, but I just felt like we had too many disorganized possessions in the second half where we weren’t creating any advantages,” the coach continued. “Without Steph, we have to be organized and in our concepts with our spacing, so that we can attack and create shots for each other.”
If Curry misses time, it’s next man up mentality for the Warriors. Yaxel Lendeborg becomes the first option on offense, while Brandin Podziemski is expected to take on a bigger role.
Players like De’Anthony Melton and L.J. Cryer will be tasked with playing backup point guard minutes. They have to hold the fort down before Curry and Brandon Williams get cleared to return.
What’s Next for Golden State?
After their loss to the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors are back in action on Friday. They visit the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center as part of the 2026 NBA Cup.
It’s another tough matchup for the Warriors, especially with a player like Victor Wembanyama on the Spurs. He has looked dominant in the past three weeks after a slow start to the season.
The Spurs are also on a 10-game winning streak entering Friday’s game.
Steve Kerr Commends Warriors’ Effort After Losing Steph Curry to Injury vs. Rockets