It took less than three minutes for the Golden State Warriors' nationally televised Thursday night showdown with the San Antonio Spurs to turn into a bummer for Dubs fans.
After Draymond Green stole the ball from Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray, he threw a hit-ahead pass to Klay Thompson, who hit Curry in stride as he streaked down the court to get out on the break. Curry caught the pass, gathered and rose for a layup with Murray and LaMarcus Aldridge converging on him. They made contact in mid-air, with Murray getting called for a foul … but the real harm came after Steph landed.
Stephen Curry tweaked his right ankle. He is being re-taped and will perform functionality tests. His return is TBD.
Midway through the second quarter, though, the team announced that Curry wouldn't be making a comeback later Thursday evening.
Stephen Curry (tweaked right ankle) will not return to tonight's game.
… which has to make the Warriors and their fans feel a little bit ill at ease.
Stephen Curry (ankle) standing outside the Warriors lockeroom, high-giving and applauding his teammates as they come in after that comeback win over the Spurs. He's not hobbling. No extra tape on his ankle.
Warriors postgame plans for Steph Curry have shifted from traveling to Portland, may play vs Minnesota, to skipping Portland trip, still may fly/play in Minnesota, to, now, sitting out entire 2-game road trip to rest/recover in Bay Area, which always made the most sense.
Taking a cautious approach with Curry's right ankle makes all the sense in the world for the Warriors, who have now won seven straight and sit a half-game behind the West-leading Houston Rockets. June matters much more than March for the defending NBA champions, and reducing the risk of a tweak turning into a tragedy in the spring can only bolster Golden State's chances of getting back to the Finals come summer.