SAN FRANCISCO — After landing awkwardly on a drive through the lane, Stephen Curry exited the Golden State Warriors‘ 125-122 home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night with an apparent ankle injury. No update was given by the Warriors after the game, though head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry had “his foot in a bucket of ice” in the locker room.
Curry appeared to roll his right ankle on a move to the basket late in the fourth quarter. He limped around the court afterward in an attempt to walk it off, but eventually exited the game and went straight to the locker room with just under four minutes left in the game.
Curry’s absence was felt down the stretch, as rookie Brandin Podziemski failed to convert a point-blank layup attempt that would have tied the game with seven seconds left. The final game-winning attempt from half court was missed by Lester Quinones, who was inserted in Curry’s place.
Despite Thursday’s loss, the Warriors are one of the hottest teams in basketball with a record of 14-5 in their last 19 games. During that stretch they’ve had the fourth-best net rating in the NBA and the fifth-best defense, with Curry averaging 26 points, five assists and five rebounds on 45/41/89 shooting splits.
The Warriors have been going 11-deep with their rotation in recent weeks, and that depth will be tested if Curry is sidelined for any period of time. He’s only missed three games this season, and Golden State has lost all three. During the team’s recent 19-game hot streak, the offense has dropped from 118 points per 100 possessions to 107 with Curry on the bench.
Given Curry’s history, an ankle injury always elicits worrisome deep breaths from anyone associated with the organization. Kerr recently said he felt Curry was fatigued after a rough shooting stretch, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Curry held out as a precaution, even if the injury turns out to not be severe. Imaging of the ankle will likely be the next step as Golden State prepares to face the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at Chase Center.
“We’ve been in this position before where he has had time off, and we’ve just got to do it collectively,” Klay Thompson said of Curry after Thursday’s loss. “I know he’ll be ready to go when he does come back, whenever that is. We just want to wish him a speedy recovery, and to take his time.”
