SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors of the Golden State star Steph Curry avoided a serious ankle injury after a rough landing during the team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls last Thursday. Curry, who is dealing with a sprained ankle, has not played in the Warriors’ two games since then and is expected to remain sidelined against the Mavericks on Wednesday.
The Warriors said Tuesday that Curry is making “good progress” and has been cleared to return to on-court workouts. He is scheduled to practice with the team in Los Angeles on Friday before the Warriors’ Saturday night matchup against the Lakers.
Curry appeared to roll his right ankle while driving to the basket late in the fourth quarter last week. He then limped onto the field in an attempt to escape, but ultimately left the game and went straight to the locker room with just under four minutes remaining.
Curry’s absence was felt throughout the streak against Chicago, as a rookie Brandin Podziemski failed to convert a point-blank layup attempt that would have tied the game with seven seconds remaining. The last winning attempt from half court was missed by Lester Quinoneswho was inserted in place of Curry.
The Warriors were one of the hottest teams in basketball before Curry’s injury, going 14-4 in 18 games between Jan. 30 and March 1. During this period, they achieved the fourth best net rating in the rankings. NBA and the fifth-best defense, with Curry averaging 26 points, five assists and five rebounds on 45/41/89 shooting. Including the loss to the Bulls, the Warriors have gone 1-2 since his injury.
Looking for more NBA coverage? John Gonzalez, Bill Reiter, Ashley Nicole Moss and special guests dive into the league’s biggest storylines daily on the Beyond the Arc podcast.
Given Curry’s history, an ankle injury always provokes deep, worrying breaths from anyone associated with the organization. Kerr recently said he felt Curry was tired after a tough shooting streak, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Curry hold out as a precaution, even if the injury turns out not to be serious.
“We’ve been in this situation before where he had time off, and we just have to do it collectively,” Klay Thompson » Curry said after Thursday’s loss. “I know he’ll be ready to go when he gets back, whenever that is. We just want to wish him a speedy recovery and take his time.”
