SAN FRANCISCO — An MRI revealed no structural damage in the joint of Steph Curry’s right ankle, and the team announced that he’ll be re-evaluated again on Tuesday, March 12.
Per that update, Curry is on track to miss at least two games — Saturday against the Spurs and the rematch Monday in San Antonio. As the Warriors make a push to escape the play-in round, they’ll need their superstar point guard to return — and return without missing a step — as soon as possible.
The first game Curry will miss is Saturday night at home against the Spurs, who will also be missing rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama. If his Tuesday re-evaluation goes well, Curry could return for games in Dallas and Los Angeles, both of which will carry bigger postseason ramifications.
In the bottom of what Steve Kerr called the ‘deepest’ conference he’s seen, the Lakers and Mavericks are two of the teams Golden State is competing with to escape the play-in round. Curry’s availability for those contests could go a long way in determining the playoff seeding.
In his 15th season, Curry is averaging 26.9 points per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 40.7% from behind the 3-point arc. He exited from Thursday night’s game against Chicago late in the fourth quarter after twisting his right ankle on a drive to the rim.
Although the team-issued update doesn’t detail the grade of Curry’s sprain, it seems as though Curry’s injury is less severe than some initially feared.
Draymond Green said that Curry’s spirits were high following the injury, a good sign for someone with a history of debilitating ankle injuries. But Klay Thompson’s comments seemed to portend the Warriors were bracing for Curry to be sidelined.
“I know we’re going to miss him if he does have time off,” Klay Thompson said. “We’ve been in this position before where he has had time off and we just got to do it collectively. I know he’ll be ready to go when he does come back, whenever that is. We just want to wish him a speedy recovery and to take his time.”
Given the critical juncture of the season, Curry and the Warriors can’t necessarily afford to take their time, and so a speedy recovery is already underway.
