The Golden State Warriors suffered another setback during their 131-124 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night: Stephen Curry left the game in the second half with knee soreness and was ruled out in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Curry
Postgame, head coach Steve Kerr addressed the injury:
“I think he’s OK. I don’t think it’s anything major, but we’ll have an update tomorrow.”
Kerr confirmed it was the same knee that sidelined Curry for Monday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors don’t play again until Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers – giving Curry a realistic window to recover without missing additional time.
In 25 minutes before exiting, Curry scored 23 points (7-of-16 FG), continuing to perform at a high level despite not being fully healthy.
Tough Schedule Ahead Before All-Star Break Golden State has five games remaining before the All-Star break:
Feb. 3 vs. PHIFeb. 5 @ PHXFeb. 7 @ LALFeb. 9 vs. MEMFeb. 11 vs. SAS
After the Spurs game, the Warriors don’t play again until Feb. 19 against the Boston Celtics. This is the only significant break in their schedule – and Curry desperately needs it to get fully healthy.
Curry Has Been Playing Through Knee Soreness Curry has battled knee soreness for several recent games. His individual production remains elite (averaging around 27 PPG this season), but the Warriors need the fully healthy version of Curry to stay afloat and have any shot at an upset in the playoffs.
It’s a difficult predicament for Kerr:
The Warriors (currently 27-22) need Curry to play a very high percentage of the 32 remaining games to avoid sliding below the eighth seed.But they also need him to rest and heal to maximize their postseason chances.
The biggest hope is that Curry uses the All-Star break for meaningful recovery – even if it means skipping the All-Star Game. There is no other break that allows for significant rest.
Warriors Nation – what do you think?
Should Curry skip the All-Star Game to heal fully?Or does the team need him on the court to lock in a playoff spot?Can Golden State survive the playoffs without 100% Curry?