The Golden State Warriors are in a full-blown crisis. On Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, they did something that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago: they blew a 21-point lead against the New York Knicks, extending their losing streak to five games. With the playoffs looming and the Western Conference more unforgiving than ever, the absence of Stephen Curry is starting to feel like a season-defining tragedy.
The Warriors, however, are clinging to hope. And according to head coach Steve Kerr, that hope is named Steph.
The Curse of the Garden
Let’s set the scene. The Warriors walked into the world’s most famous arena without their spiritual leader. Stephen Curry (knee) was in street clothes. Draymond Green (back) was out. Al Horford (calf), Seth Curry (thigh), De’Anthony Melton (knee management), and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) joined them on the sidelines. It was a MASH unit disguised as an NBA roster.
And yet, for a glorious moment, it looked like the Warriors might pull off the impossible. Led by a trio of unlikely heroes—Brandin Podziemski (25 points, six assists), a returning Quinten Post (22 points, three blocks), and Gui Santos (20 points, seven assists, seven rebounds)—Golden State built a 21-point lead against a quality Knicks team on their home floor.
Then, the wheels fell off.
The Knicks stormed back, the Warriors’ offense stagnated, and what could have been a season-saving victory turned into a soul-crushing defeat. The loss dropped the Warriors to 9-19 without Stephen Curry this season, including a brutal 5-12 stretch since early February.
The Curry Conundrum: “We Expect Him Back”
After the game, Steve Kerr addressed the elephant in the room: when will Stephen Curry return?
Speaking to NBC Sports’ Bob Costas, Kerr offered a cautiously optimistic update. “Well, we expect him back,” Kerr said. “He’s trending in the right direction. It’s been a tricky injury, but I think he’ll be back for sure. We just don’t know if it’s going to be a week or two or whatever. It’s a day-to-day process.”
The timeline remains frustratingly vague. Curry, who last played on January 30, has now missed 17 straight games. For context, Kerr noted that this is the longest stretch without his superstar since the 2019-20 season, when Curry played just five games due to a broken hand.
“He’s just one of one,” Kerr added. “This is the longest stretch that I can remember being without him since I think it was 2020 when he missed basically the whole season. So yeah, we miss him. We miss watching him.”
The Road Trip Gamble
Here’s the silver lining: Curry is traveling with the team on their ongoing six-game road trip. That’s significant. If he weren’t close to returning, he’d likely be back in the Bay Area rehabbing. Instead, he’s in New York, then Washington, then Boston, then Detroit, then Atlanta, then Dallas.
“He just feels better when he’s in the room,” Kerr explained. “He was in our meeting today, he got a workout in this morning. So he’s trending in the right direction and he’s in good spirits, and just having him on the trip is important for our morale.”
The logical assumption is that Curry could return at some point during this trip. But with the Warriors ruling out Horford and Seth Curry for at least another week, the margin for error remains razor-thin.
The Playoff Picture: Slipping Away
With 15 games left in the regular season, the Warriors are running out of time. The Western Conference is a shark tank, and Golden State is bleeding. Every loss pushes them closer to the play-in tournament—or worse, complete elimination from postseason contention.
The irony? Even without their stars, the Warriors showed they have fight. Podziemski, Post, and Santos played with the kind of desperation that defines championship DNA. But in the NBA, heart can only take you so far. Eventually, you need your superstars.
What’s Next?
The road trip continues with stops in Washington, Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, and Dallas. If Curry returns during this stretch, the Warriors might still salvage their season. If not, the losses will keep piling up, and the questions will grow louder.
For now, Warriors fans are left with Steve Kerr’s words: “We expect him back.” It’s not a guarantee, but in a season full of uncertainty, it’s the only hope they have.