Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry rolled his ankle in the first quarter of Thursday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said that Curry will not travel on the team’s two-game road trip to Portland and Minnesota.
The two-time NBA MVP drove to the basket two minutes into the game, went up for a contested layup, got fouled and landed awkwardly. His momentum from the drive took him into the tunnel behind the basket where he kneeled over in obvious pain.
After a timeout, Curry took his free throws and then the team fouled a Spurs player to get him out of the game.
The Warriors have been very cautious this season as they are trying to maintain their health for the playoffs.
Golden State is 51-14, currently in second in the Western Conference behind the Houston Rockets.
Golden State, the perennial championship favorite, no longer bothers with the regular season. The team is significantly more concerned with their team’s health than where they sit in the playoff standings.
Last year, the Warriors faced very little resistance in the playoffs; however, it looks like Houston could provide that test for them. While Golden State would still be the favorites in a series without the home court advantage, having Curry healthy for the postseason is of the utmost importance.
Stephen Curry has had a long history of ankle injuries. The Davidson grad tweaked the ankle last week but did not miss any time because they had an extended period of time off between games. In December, he rolled his right ankle in a game that forced him to miss the ensuing 11 games.
Back in 2010, Curry needed surgery to repair the ligaments after rolling his ankle multiple times during the season. He re-injured the ankle the following year, which required a second surgery in a 13-month span.
Curry is on pace to play his fewest games this season since that injury plagued year in 2011-2012.