The Golden State Warriors have ruled Stephen Curry out of Thursday night’s home game against the Los Angeles Lakers, ensuring the league’s two biggest stars will not face each other during the 2025-26 regular season.
Curry, 38, is being held out as part of ongoing management of a right knee injury that sidelined him for 27 games earlier this year. The team’s medical staff, led by Rick Celebrini, determined on Thursday morning that the two-time MVP should play only the second half of the upcoming back-to-back, targeting Friday’s contest in Sacramento instead.
LeBron James, 41, missed the teams’ opening-night meeting because of sciatica. With Curry sitting out the last two matchups and now Thursday’s game, the longtime rivals will finish the season without a single head-to-head appearance.
Historical context
Since entering the league, Curry and James have squared off 27 times in regular-season play and 28 times in the postseason. James-led teams own a 14-13 edge in regular-season meetings, while Curry’s Warriors are 17-11 in the playoffs, winning three of five series.
Warriors’ playoff push
Golden State is locked into the No. 10 seed and must win two road play-in games next week to claim the Western Conference’s final playoff berth. The coaching staff plans to increase Curry’s minutes past 30 this weekend as preparation for Wednesday’s elimination game against either the Portland Trail Blazers or the LA Clippers.
Curry returned Sunday after nearly two months out, logging 51 minutes off the bench across two games and scoring a combined 43 points.
Lakers’ positioning
Los Angeles enters Thursday at 50-29, tied with the Houston Rockets for the No. 4 seed with three games remaining. The Lakers continue to play without injured starters Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Source: ESPN
