SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry will be re-evaluated Friday after injuring his ankle in Sunday’s 112-104 loss to the LA Clippers, meaning he will miss the team’s next two games.
The Warriors said an MRI showed no structural damage and confirmed a left peroneal strain. The peroneal tendons run alongside the outer ankle bone.
Curry twisted his left ankle twice Sunday before limping to the locker room. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry called the injury “mild” and moderate.”
“He doesn’t think it’s too bad,” Kerr said. “But obviously it’s a concern.”
Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton also left Sunday’s game with a strained lower back and will be re-evaluated Friday. Curry and Melton will miss games Tuesday and Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans and will be evaluated prior to the upcoming five-game road trip, which ends with three challenging opponents: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Andrew Wiggins is also listed as questionable with a lower back strain. The Warriors have been glowing about their depth all preseason. It is about to get tested.
Steph appears to aggravate his ankle injury and heads to the locker room pic.twitter.com/AllTixka32
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 28, 2024
What happened to Curry?
The first twist came late in the third quarter. Curry hobbled toward the bench and called for a substitution, but didn’t leave for the locker room after talking it over with team trainer Drew Yoder. Curry instead asked for an exercise band to stretch it out while on the bench.
Curry sat until the middle of the fourth quarter, grimacing while trying to put pressure on it. He entered at the 8:08 mark and, within 10 seconds, twisted it again while setting a screen in the left corner.
Curry’s pain was obvious immediately. He limped toward the corner, called for a substitution and then hobbled to the back followed by lead medical decision maker Rick Celebrini. General manager Mike Dunleavy went down the tunnel moments later to check on Curry. The team ruled him out soon after.
The Warriors weren’t playing well before Curry’s departure. He had six of their 21 turnovers. Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski went a combined 2-of-20 from 3. Kerr was searching rotationally the entire night and actually ended up closing with Kevon Looney over Draymond Green.
The team’s brightest spot was Wiggins, who scored 29 points and went 11-of-15 shooting, nearly bringing them back late. He’s looked great early season while Kuminga has struggled.
The loss drops them to 2-1.
What will the Warriors do without Curry?
The Warriors will need to rearrange their rotation.
They’ve been starting Curry in a big lineup that includes Kuminga, Wiggins, Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Without Curry (and even with him) that is a unit that has no spacing. Kerr has talked about wanting to get Hield on the floor this season in the non-Curry minutes. If there are non-Curry games, it seems likely that Kerr would elevate Hield into the starting lineup and get a point guard, perhaps Podziemski, out there with him.
(Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
