The Golden State Warriors star, Stephen Curry, left the game in the last minute of the 104-100 home loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. He limped off to the locker room with what the team called a right quadriceps contusion. Curry will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
Curry began to limp after a series of collisions in the final quarter. He tried to draw a charge on Rockets guard Amen Thompson with 3:24 remaining and was pushed with an elbow. After the review, Curry was called for a blocking foul. Two possessions later, Curry drove into the zone to attempt a layup and was called for a charge. Kerr challenged the call, but it was not overturned. After this, Curry moved cautiously for the next few minutes, showing obvious pain.When I heard it was the quadriceps, I was actually relieved. Better than an ankle or a knee.
Steve Kerr, Warriors coach
During a timeout with 35.2 seconds remaining and the Warriors losing by five, Curry spoke with Rick Celebrini, the team’s head medical officer, who gestured to the bench indicating that Curry was done for the night. Both headed to the locker room.
Curry’s injury comes at an unstable time for the Warriors. Wednesday night’s loss left them with a 10-10 record after 20 games, following a 4-1 start. After the game, both Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green criticized the team’s recent defensive effort.If Steph has to miss [time]? Obviously, that changes everything: our rotations, how we play, through whom we play. We’ll see.
Steve Kerr, Warriors coach
The Rockets only made 39 of their 99 shots against the Warriors, but they grabbed 25 offensive rebounds, punishing Golden State with superior size and physicality. Houston outscored the Warriors by 16 points in the second half.We don’t block. We don’t follow the scouting report. We let anyone do whatever they want: open shots, get into the zone, free throws. It’s a shame.
Jimmy Butler III
The Warriors have a respectable defensive rating of 112.2 in 20 games, ranking tenth out of 30 teams. They have been worse on offense, with a rating of 113.2, which puts them in 22nd place.Our defense is shit.
Draymond Green
Green and Butler have been critical of the team’s play after some of their recent losses, including Green’s criticism of individual agendas after a loss in Oklahoma City. Green wanted to make sure after Wednesday’s loss that he was grouping everyone together.It’s not necessarily the numbers. How do you feel when you’re out there? It’s disappointment after disappointment. It’s more than the numbers. Defense is a matter of attitude. If there’s disappointment, it kills your attitude, it kills your bravado. Then you’re a soft team.
Draymond Green
Butler called it “front-running”.We are individually, I know everyone likes to twist words, I said we are individually fucking horrible.
Draymond Green
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga appears to be close to returning. He participated in a workout on Wednesday afternoon and said his goal was to return for Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans. But, pending the results of the MRI, the Warriors may have to play without Curry.A lot of our energy is based on our offense. When we’re making shots, oh man, we’re celebrating, we’re cheering, doing all those things. When we’re not, when the game isn’t going the way we want, we put our heads down and get discouraged and we don’t box out, and we don’t get back. We foul. We do all the bad things.
Jimmy Butler III
We will have to be almost perfect [without Curry]. We are not going to have the last resort on our team.
Jimmy Butler III
