Stephen Curry left the arena in the second half of the Golden State Warriors’ 115-108 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night to undergo an MRI on his injured abdomen and oblique.
After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry told him the tweak to his side was an injury he had never felt before. Kerr acknowledged a level of anxiety within the franchise while the team awaited the test results.
“Concern is high,” Kerr said. “But I have no idea the extent.”
How Curry Exited
Curry began grabbing at his right side a few minutes into the game. He tried to play through the pain while frequently looking over at the training staff.
With 7:22 left in the first quarter, Curry came off a Draymond Green screen and made a 28-foot 3-pointer. He yelled in pain after releasing the shot and signaled toward the bench.
The Warriors called a timeout a couple of possessions later. After a brief conversation with Kerr, Curry walked to the locker room in obvious discomfort, followed by Drew Yoder, a key member of the team’s medical staff. Curry stayed in the locker room for the rest of the first quarter, and the team officially ruled him out with right abdominal soreness early in the second quarter.
Golden State trailed 19-10 when Curry exited. The team tied the game but ultimately lost by seven points, which snapped an eight-game win streak. Curry had been surging, entering Wednesday averaging 30.6 points in 28.6 minutes per game.
At halftime, before leaving for the MRI, Curry spoke to his teammates and urged them to focus on the task at hand. He assured them he would get through this latest injury fine.
An Already Depleted Roster
The Curry injury is the latest blow to a thin roster. Starting wings Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are rehabbing long-term knee injuries. Projected starting center Kristaps Porzingis has stepped away from the team and the sport entirely. Backup guard Brandon Williams strained a hamstring and will miss at least a week.
Still, the Curry loss carries the greatest impact on an offense and organization that have revolved around him for nearly two decades. Last season, the Warriors went 13-26 in the 39 games Curry missed. This season, they are 1-1 without him and 8-4 overall, which gives Green confidence that the team can survive in the short term.
Green Sees a Stronger Team
“The spirit of this team is better,” Green said. “We’re more certain of who we are, what makes us a good team. I think that puts us in a better position to be successful without him as opposed to where we were last year. Then obviously [Yaxel Lendeborg], having a guy you can give the ball to and he can create an advantage. [Brandin Podziemski] is playing a lot better. … It puts us in a better position.”
The Warriors play the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday night.