Curry leaves late with right quad bruise; MRI slated
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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry hobbled to the locker room in the closing seconds of Wednesday’s 104-100 defeat to the Houston Rockets after suffering what the team called a right quadriceps contusion. An MRI is scheduled to determine the severity of the injury.
“When I heard it was a quad, I actually felt relieved — it’s better than an ankle or knee,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game at Chase Center.
The injury occurred during a sequence of hard collisions in the fourth quarter. With 3:24 remaining, Curry tried to take a charge on Houston rookie Amen Thompson and was ruled for a blocking foul after review. Two possessions later, the two-time MVP drove into the paint, crashed to the floor on a layup attempt and was called for an offensive foul; Kerr’s challenge was unsuccessful. Curry moved gingerly for the next couple of minutes before team performance chief Rick Celebrini signaled that the guard’s night was over with 35.2 seconds left.
Golden State, now 10-10 after opening the season 4-1, faces an uncertain stretch if Curry is sidelined. “If Steph has to miss time it changes everything — rotations, who we play through, all of it,” Kerr said.
The loss prompted pointed comments from veteran leaders. Forward Jimmy Butler III criticized the club’s attention to detail on defense, citing poor box-outs and failure to follow the scouting report. Houston shot 39-for-99 but collected 25 offensive rebounds and outscored the Warriors by 16 points after halftime. Draymond Green called the defense “terrible,” adding that effort lapses have damaged the team’s swagger.
Despite ranking 10th in defensive rating at 112.2 through 20 games, the Warriors’ offense sits 22nd at 113.2. “Defense is about demeanor,” Green said. “Letdowns kill your bravado and make you a soft team.”
Forward Jonathan Kuminga, sidelined recently, scrimmaged earlier Wednesday and told ESPN he is targeting a return Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Should Curry miss time, Butler noted, “We’ll have to be nearly perfect — we won’t have the ultimate bailout.”
Source: ESPN.com
