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Posted on: February 5, 2023, 11:29h.
Last updated on: February 5, 2023, 06:07h.
The defending champion Golden State Warriors are concerned after shooting guard Steph Curry sustained a leg injury against the Dallas Mavericks. He exited the game in the third quarter.
During a defensive possession, Curry collided with backup point guard McKinley Wright IV from the Mavs. The training staff attended to Curry on the bench for several minutes before he limped off the court at the Chase Center.
Without Curry for the remainder of the second half, the Warriors held off the Mavs for a 119-113 victory. Curry scored 21 points and added seven assists and six rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
Initial X-rays were negative. Curry underwent on MRI on Sunday, and he was diagnosed with partially torn superior tibiofibular ligaments in his left leg.
Curry leads the Warriors in scoring this season. He averages 29.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.5% from the floor, and 42.7% from 3-point range.
Steph went back to the locker room after after appearing to injure his left leg on this play pic.twitter.com/SKx4XmXMIZ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 5, 2023
Another Game, Another Knee Injury for Curry
It was a rough week for the Warriors. They completed a three-game road trip with losses in back-to-back games. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Warriors by five points in overtime on Wednesday, which was arguably one of their worst performances of the season.
The Denver Nuggets are the best team in the Western Conference, and they easily defeated the road-weary Warriors by 17 points on Thursday. Curry banged his left knee against the Nuggets late in the fourth quarter. But he finished the game with 28 points in the loss.
The Warriors listed Curry on the injury report with a left knee contusion. But he still started against the Mavs on Saturday. He wore a knee pad with additional padding against the Mavs.
The Warriors do not know if Curry’s current injury is related to his knee injury in the previous game.
Any time a guy gets an MRI, there’s a concern level,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “We’ll just have to wait and see. So, fingers crossed he’s OK.”
Initial reports suggested that Curry sustained an MCL sprain, however an MRI revealed a contusion and damage to the superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane.
Curry Expects to Miss All-Star Game
The 2023 NBA All-Star Game tips off in two weeks on Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Curry earned another trip to the NBA All-Star Game when he was voted in as a starter for the Western Conference. Curry is a nine-time All-Star, so it’s not a big deal if he skips the upcoming All-Star Game.
The Warriors are more concerned about Curry’s long term health considering how many games he missed over the last few seasons. They want to make sure he’s healthy before the playoffs begin so Curry can help the Warriors defend their championship.
Curry missed 11 games earlier in the season with a left shoulder subluxation, but got lucky because it was his non-shooting shoulder. The Warriors went 6-5 without Curry during that stretch in late December and early January.
Backup guard Donte DiVincenzo (8.4 points, 3.3 assists) started 12 games this season for the Warriors and saw an uptick in playing time when Curry hurt his shoulder. Shooting guard Jordan Poole averages 20.5 points per game off the bench as the Warriors sixth man. But he started 30 games this season because of injuries to Curry and load management for swingman Klay Thompson.
Warriors Stuck in the Western Conference Cluster
With a 27-26 record, the Warriors are in seventh place in the Western Conference standings. If the season ended today, the Warriors would participate in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament featuring teams between seventh place and tenth place to determine the #7 and #8 playoff seeds.
The Warriors trail the first-place Nuggets (37-16) by 10 games, but they’re stuck in the middle of one of the tightest playoff races in recent memory. The Western Conference has 10 teams that are separated by only four games. This cluster is bookended by the Los Angeles Clippers (30-26) in fourth place and the L.A. Lakers (25-29) in 13th place.
To put this cluster in perspective, the Nuggets hold a 4.5-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies (32-20) in second place. The Warriors are in the middle of this cluster. But a losing streak without Curry could jeopardize a playoff spot.
FiveThirtyEight projects the Warriors will finish with a 43-39 record. They have an 8% chance to advance to the NBA Finals, but only a 4% chance to win the championship and successfully defend their title.
The Warriors are +500 odds to win the Western Conference and return to the NBA Finals. They are +1000 odds to win the NBA championship in consecutive seasons.
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