Stephen Curry will miss at least two weeks after suffering an oblique abdominal tear, but sources have told reporters that the Golden State Warriors are bracing for their star to be out closer to a month.
Curry exited Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets with 6:25 remaining in the first quarter and later had an MRI. He started grabbing at his right side a few minutes into the game, attempting to play through the pain while sporadically looking over at the training staff. With 7:22 left in the first quarter, Curry came off a Draymond Green screen and nailed a 28-foot three-pointer, but he yelled in pain after the release and signalled towards the bench. Head coach Steve Kerr said Curry told him the tweak to his side was an injury he had never felt before.
Warriors Face Extended Absence
Curry will miss at least the next seven games, against the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors (8-4) were down 19-10 when Curry left the floor. They clawed back to tie the game but ultimately lost by seven points, which snapped an eight-game winning streak fuelled by a surging Curry. He is averaging 27.8 points in 26.3 minutes per game this season and is shooting a career-high 45.7% from three-point range. He also averages 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds.
At halftime, before leaving the arena for an MRI, Curry spoke to his teammates. He told them to focus on the task at hand and assured them that he would get through this latest injury fine.
Depleted Roster Under Pressure
This is the latest blow to an already depleted Warriors roster. Starting wings Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are rehabbing long-term knee injuries. Projected starting centre Kristaps Porzingis has stepped away from the team and the sport. Backup guard Brandon Williams strained a hamstring and will miss at least a week.
Last season, the Warriors went 13-26 in the 39 games that Curry missed. This season, they are 1-1 without him.
Green remained upbeat about the team’s prospects. “The spirit of this team is better,” Green said. “We’re more certain of who we are, what makes us a good team. I think that puts us in a better position to be successful without him as opposed to where we were last year. Then obviously [Yaxel Lendeborg], having a guy you can give the ball to and he can create an advantage. [Brandin Podziemski] is playing a lot better. … It puts us in a better position.”