Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry suffered an injury during the NBA regular season game against the Houston Rockets and left the court early. According to the club, the guard experienced pain in his right abdomen and was sent for an MRI after the game to determine the severity of the injury. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated that the level of concern within the coaching staff is high, though the exact nature of the injury was unknown at the time of his comments.
Timeline: From three-pointer to court exit
Curry's trouble began early in the game: the basketball player periodically held his right side and drew the medical staff's attention while trying to continue playing. The turning point came with 7 minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the first quarter—Curry sank a three-pointer from about 28 feet out, but immediately cried out in pain and signaled to the bench. Following the next stoppage in play, he spoke with head coach Steve Kerr and headed to the locker room accompanied by member of the medical staff Drew Yoder. The club officially announced that Curry would not return to the court due to right abdominal pain, and in the second half of the game, he left the arena to undergo an MRI.
Coaching staff reaction: An "unusual" injury
According to Steve Kerr, Curry himself described the injury as unusual for him—he had never experienced such pain before. "The level of concern is high. But I don't know how serious the injury is," the Warriors' head coach stated. Before heading to for the MRI, Curry spoke with his teammates during halftime, urged them to focus on the game, and assured them he would deal with this latest health setback.
Match outcome and Warriors' roster losses
The 108-115 defeat against Houston ended Golden State's eight-game winning streak. At the time of Curry's departure, the team was trailing 10-19, but subsequently managed to fight back and tie the score, though they failed to complete the comeback with a victory. The loss of their leader is another blow to a team already facing serious roster issues: Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are sidelined during prolonged recoveries from knee injuries, Kristaps Porzingis has temporarily stepped away from the team and basketball, and backup guard Brandon Williams has a strained hamstring and will miss at least a week.
Statistics without Curry and Draymond Green's assessment
Curry remains a pivotal figure for the Warriors. Last season, the team won only 13 of 39 games that the star guard missed due to injuries. This season, statistics without him are somewhat better: Golden State has one win and one loss in games without Curry, alongside an overall record of eight wins and four losses. According to Draymond Green, the current roster is better prepared to perform without its leader than last year; the team, he says, has a better understanding of its own playing identity and features players capable of creating advantages on offense.
