SACRAMENTO — The Golden State Warriors left Golden 1 Center on Friday night with a 124-118 loss and more questions than answers. The fourth quarter fell apart. The offense looked clunky. The defense broke down repeatedly. With one game left in the regular season and a play-in spot already secured, the performance was far from encouraging.
But the biggest concern walked off the court in the first three minutes.
Stephen Curry, the engine of everything the Warriors hope to accomplish, rolled his right ankle on a steal by Kings guard Devin Carter. He returned and finished the game, but never looked right, ending with just 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 27 minutes. He limped. He labored. He was not himself.
After the game, Steve Kerr moved quickly to address the anxiety spreading through Warriors nation.
Curry will play Sunday in Los Angeles. The ankle is not a concern. And Kerr has a plan for how to use the final game of the regular season wisely.
Kerr Honest About Where Warriors Stand
Kerr confirmed the plan is for Curry to play against the Clippers on Sunday, with the primary goal being rhythm rather than result. He also acknowledged the Warriors would not be showing their hand too much ahead of Wednesday’s elimination play-in game.
He was measured but direct when assessing what Friday revealed about his team.
“We’re going into Wednesday’s Play-In game without much momentum,” Kerr said. “Without a whole lot of continuity and health and all that. So we’re trying to put it together quickly.”
He still believes. Just not blindly.
“I’ve got lots of hope,” Kerr said. “I think we can win two games, because I know these guys and I believe in them, but I also know that we’re not where we need to be. We showed that tonight.”
The injuries this season disrupted any chance at continuity. The group Kerr wants to go to war with in the play-in has barely played together. Sunday is as much about building familiarity as it is about winning.
Curry Speaks on Ankle After Scare
Curry was candid when he met with reporters postgame. His right ankle was resting in a bucket of ice water.
“I’ll be alright,” Curry said. “As long as it’s not my knee, I can deal with ankles; I’ve been dealing with that forever.”
The relief in those words was real. Curry missed 27 consecutive games earlier this season dealing with swelling and soreness in his right knee, so any lower-body issue carries extra weight right now. An ankle tweak is manageable. A knee setback would not be.
Curry put it simply when asked what the path forward looks like.
“48 great minutes,” Curry said. “That’s all we gotta do, it’s all we have in front of us.”
He also made it clear that he wants to play his normal minutes on Sunday—the 32-to-34 range. He told reporters that his knee felt “pretty good, better than last game” and that he wasn’t worried about the ankle tweak.
“I’ve been dealing with ankles forever,” he said.
The Rhythm Problem: A Team Still Searching
The ankle news is as good as it could have been. Curry walking out of Sacramento with a tweaked ankle rather than a knee setback changes the outlook considerably heading into the final weekend.
But the bigger challenge is rhythm. Golden State looks like a team still searching for itself.
The Warriors have been unable to build continuity all season. Key players have come and gone from the lineup. The chemistry that typically defines Golden State’s best teams has been impossible to establish. And with Wednesday’s elimination game looming, the margin for error is microscopic.
Sunday’s game against the Clippers is the last chance to find something worth building on. Curry will play. He will try to find his rhythm. The Warriors will try to look like a team that can win two consecutive elimination games on the road.
It’s a tall order. But Curry has been there before. So has Kerr. That counts for something.
The Play-In Picture: What’s at Stake
The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. They will face either the Portland Trail Blazers or the Los Angeles Clippers in the 9-10 play-in matchup. A loss ends their season. Two wins put them in the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, where the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder awaits.
It is not where the Warriors wanted to be. But it is where they are.
Curry’s health is the single most important factor. If he is limited, the Warriors have no chance. If he is himself, they have a puncher’s chance.
Friday night was a scare. But it was not a catastrophe. Curry will play Sunday. He will test his ankle. He will try to build rhythm.
And then, on Wednesday, the real games begin.
The Verdict: A Race Against Time
The Warriors are not contenders this season. The injuries have been too numerous, the roster too unsettled, the chemistry too inconsistent. But they have Stephen Curry, and as long as they have him, they have hope.
The ankle scare in Sacramento was a reminder of how fragile that hope is. One wrong step. One awkward landing. One tweak. And the season could be over.
But Curry is still standing. He will play Sunday. He will try to find his rhythm.
And then, on Wednesday, the Warriors will find out if it’s enough.
Kerr is hopeful, not blind. Curry is confident, not reckless. The Warriors are limping toward the finish line, but they are not dead yet.
In the chaos of the play-in tournament, that might be enough.