SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors received some mildly encouraging news on an otherwise concerning injury situation surrounding their ailing superstar.
Golden State announced in a press release on Thursday evening that Steph Curry underwent an MRI on his right knee, and that results came back negative for any sort of structural damage. However, he will be out the next 10 days, which will mean he will not be available for the Warriors’ proceeding five games.
The earliest Curry could return is a home game against the Clippers on Mar. 2.
Curry will miss his sixth consecutive game on Thursday — a showdown with Boston — with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee despite sitting out all of the All-Star break, being only a spectator aside from one viral jumpshot with the NBC broadcast crew.
It is knee soreness that can only heal through rest, and he did not participate in Golden State’s practice on Wednesday afternoon.
Curry has played in 39 games, leading the Warriors in scoring with an average of 27.2 points per game. He also still leads the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (4.5) and free throw percentage (93%) and is clearly still one of the elite players in the league.
However, because the NBA requires players to play in at least 65 games to be eligible for season honors such as All-NBA and MVP, 37-year-old Curry will not add another All-NBA accolade to his collection.
Thursday’s game will be the 17th Curry has missed this season, and one more will make him ineligible. That is the least of the Warriors’ concerns, though, as it prepares to face Boston and begin a 27-game sprint to the postseason.
If the Warriors are to make any sort of serious noise in the playoffs, they need their best player to be healthy for the games that matter. The Warriors return from the weeklong break in eighth place in the Western Conference, 4.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.
Golden State is already without the “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” after Jimmy Butler went down last month with a torn ACL, which will likely sideline him into next season.
“It’s a little tricky, but we’re going to keep plugging away at it, and Steph will take the right steps,” Kerr said Wednesday.
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