Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drove Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter on March 16, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (Getty Images via AFP)
SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will not return to action before the playoffs due to a sprained ligament in his left leg, the NBA team said Friday.
In a statement posted on the team’s Twitter feed, the Warriors said Curry was making “good progress” in his recovery but would no longer play in the regular season, which ends on April 10.
“Stephen will gradually begin personal on-court activities next week, and his return to practice will be based on his continued progress,” the Warriors said. “Our next update on its status will be given on April 11.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters the news came as no surprise.
“We expected him to play one or two matches at the end of the regular season,” Kerr said. “But it was always a long shot.”
Curry has not played since an injury in a March 16 game against the Boston Celtics, when Marcus Smart of Boston rolled him while chasing a loose ball.
Curry, the NBA all-time leader in three-point shots, averaged 25.5 points per game and is at Warriors 1-6 as he has been sidelined.
Although players, including Jordan Poole, have increased their offensive output, no one has been able to fill the void left by Curry.
The Warriors are currently fourth in the Western Conference and have yet to officially reach their play-off berths, although the Minnesota Timberwolves could find themselves on Friday after losing to the Denver Nuggets.
Kerry said Curry is a key contributor to the playoff push.
“You can see him in practice, pull the boys aside, talk to them,” Kerr said. “He values himself as a leader as well as an all-star player.”
And Kerr said he had no worries that it would take time to ramp up when Curry would return.
“All it takes is a shot and he’s back in rhythm,” Kerr said.
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