OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry’s troublesome right ankle has no serious structural damage.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry’s troublesome right ankle has no serious structural damage.
The reigning NBA MVP underwent an MRI exam on his injured right ankle Tuesday in the Bay Area, and the Golden State Warriors said nothing of concern came up on the test. Curry remained questionable for Game 3 of his team’s playoff series on Thursday in Houston.
Curry missed Monday night’s 115-106 victory against the Rockets at Oracle Arena after cutting short his warmup routine because his troublesome ankle was tender. He will continue to undergo treatment for the injury ahead of Thursday, and coach Steve Kerr mentioned there is ample time for Curry to try to get healthy and stay off his feet.
“We’ll see how he responds the next couple of days, and if he’s not right obviously being up 2-0 does give us more cushion if we decide to sit him,” Kerr said after Monday’s game. “But it will be based on his health, not the series score. It’s really what the training staff says and what Steph says about how he’s feeling.”
Top-seeded Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 as it shifts to Houston for the next two matchups. The Warriors had the day off from practice Tuesday ahead of their flight to Houston on Wednesday.
The news about Curry’s MRI was huge given the superstar point guard had two surgeries on that ankle in 2011-12. He averaged a league-leading 30.1 points per game this season and does so many other things to make his teammates better and set them up to score.
“When Steph goes down, that’s obviously not easy to replace, so not one guy’s going to come out and do what Steph does for this team,” Draymond Green said. “Even if a guy comes out and gets 30, he’s still not going to do what or bring what Steph brings to this team. He draws so much attention that he gets other people shots as well. … I think we’re the deepest team in the NBA.”
Shaun Livingston contributed 16 points and six assists playing in Curry’s place, while Klay Thompson had 34 points and five assists. Andre Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Green had 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Yes, a couple of players even referenced that catch phrase “Strength In Numbers” that blares on those bright yellow T-shirts throughout Oracle Arena.
“Obviously when you lose the MVP you’ve got concern, but we believe in our depth and in our ability to win when we’re down a man even if it is Steph,” Kerr said. “So, very pleased with the effort. Obviously with the outcome. We had a lot of guys just step up and play extremely well.”