Steph thinks he’ll be ‘all right,’ but injury latest Dubs concern originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
BOSTON — Steph Curry walked to the podium Wednesday night at TD Garden following the Warriors’ 116-100 Game 3 loss in the NBA Finals with a slight limp and an ACE bandage wrapped around his left foot, hidden by his sweatpants.
He scored 31 points, making six 3-pointers in Golden State’s loss. And now, he’s the Warriors’ biggest concern going forward due to a possible left foot injury — the same foot he hurt against the Celtics in the regular season.
“I’ll be all right,” Curry said to reporters. “I think I caught it underneath [Al Horford]. Obviously in decent pain, but I’ll be all right. See how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday.”
Draymond Green picked up his sixth and final foul with four minutes remaining, pushing Marcus Smart away from a pile that Curry was under. Green told reporters after the game he could hear his teammate screaming, raising the level of worry with the Warriors now down two games to one to the Celtics in the Finals.
While fighting for a loose ball, the 240-pound Horford fell on Curry’s leg and it was clear right away how much pain he was in. To make matters worse, Smart then was on top of him as well, ripping the ball out of his hands before Green came to protect Curry.
As the game was slipping away from the Warriors during another ugly fourth quarter, Curry was yelling, slapping the floor and kicking his legs. It was a visual representation of the loss and an entire franchise holding its collective breath.
The good news? Curry stayed in the game for nearly two more minutes, didn’t go to the locker room right away and believes he’ll be good to go for Game 4.
“Same thing I did against Boston in the regular season, but not as bad,” Curry said. “… I don’t feel like I’ll miss a game. So, take advantage of these next 48 hours and get ready.”
When Curry sustained a sprained left foot vs. the Celtics on March 16, he missed the final two weeks of the regular season. He wasn’t back to game action for a month and came off the bench for the first four games of the postseason. The Warriors don’t have the luxury of waiting this time.
They’re in a race against time, and now have to make up ground if they wish to be champions once again.
Curry now is averaging 31.3 points per game through the first three contests, while shooting 48.6 percent from long distance. His 18 3-pointers in the series are tied for the most in any three-game span in a single Finals. He has scored 94 total points. The next-highest point total by a Warriors player is Klay Thompson.
He’s up to 51 after scoring 25 on Wednesday night.
“We need him if we want to win this thing,” Thompson said of Curry. “I know Steph’s going to do everything he can in his power to play. I am really hoping he’s OK, because he’s our identity and without him it would be very difficult.”
The Warriors aren’t winning Game 4 without Curry, and they’re not taking home a title if he’s stuck to the sidelines. Thompson’s comments on his fellow Splash Brother are correct in multiple ways. Golden State needs Curry in order to beat Boston. Steph is the Warriors’ identity. Always has been, always will be.
And he will do everything in his power to play the next game in this series, and beyond.
Unlike the first two games of the Finals, however, Curry will only have one day in between games to heal. An extra day would have done wonders for the Warriors. Every hour, every minute, every second counts right now.
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The Warriors were outrebounded 47-31 in Game 3. The Celtics scored twice as many points in the paint as them, handed out six more assists than the Warriors and Golden State committed five more turnovers.
None of those issues compare to the possibility of not having Curry on the floor. He is the Warriors, and his availability is as essential as ever.
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