Golden State Warriors fans have waited far too long for the return of two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.
Curry, 38, has been out of the lineup since Jan. 30 and has missed 27 consecutive games due to a runner’s knee injury. Curry first began experiencing knee trouble a few days before he was shut down. Numerous setbacks over the last two months have dragged Curry’s return date this far.
The Warriors have been desperate without Curry, winning just nine games in the time he’s been in street clothes. If it weren’t tanking teams beneath them in Western Conference, perhaps the Dubs would’ve been out of even the play-in picture a long time ago.
Fortunately, they still have a chance to pull something positive out of this season and pull the curtain over all the bad that’s gone on.
Golden State is without several key contributors and will be forced to go at it shorthanded in the play-in game scheduled for less than two weeks from now.
The biggest thing is the team is expected to have Curry back in the lineup with at least a few games to go before the regular season concludes. Curry won’t have much time at all to shake the rust off and gear up for the intensity of play-in game, but he is where he is after two-plus months off the court.
The 38-year-old Warriors star is finally hoping to get back on the court in tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets, but his playing status hasn’t been 100% confirmed.
What we know about Stephen Curry’s status for Sunday’s contest
Curry has seen his 17th NBA season marred by a significant injury. The 12-time All-Star hasn’t missed this much time since back in the 2019-20 season when he suffered a fractured hand.
The runner’s knee he’s battled through this year has appeared worse. Curry described some of the challenges and frustrations he dealt with trying to make his way back to full strength, and knowing what his team was capable of if he were in the lineup made it harder for the future Hall of Famer to stay patient during rehab.
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors reacts on the bench during an NBA game.
All that has made for an unbelievably trying year for Curry and the Warriors, but they have a chance to put everything in the rear-view and establish that “best is yet to come” mentality.
Even for all the bad that’s happened, Golden State can still make the playoffs. Heck, nobody can say it’s impossible for this team to make it to the Finals and win another championship. All the Dubs can ask for is a chance, and they have that.
For that motivation to kick in, the Warriors will need Curry back.
The good news is the Warriors star is likely to play his first game in over two months tonight if nothing unexpected occurs before game time.
“Curry has since missed more than two months with what is termed as ‘runner’s knee,’ but he advanced to 5-on-5 scrimmaging this past week and finally received clearance from the medical staff to make his return against the Houston Rockets at home Sunday night,” wrote team insider Anthony Slater on ESPN.com “He will officially be listed as questionable, but assuming there aren’t unexpected setbacks in the next 24 hours, he is expected to play.”
A big home game is on tap if Curry makes his return
All signs point to Curry’s return tonight at home. The Warriors faithful will surely greet him as loudly and as passionately as they’ve ever had. The fans have certainly battled through a ton of misery without him over the last two months.
Curry put together a strong week by participating in multiple five-on-five scrimmages and demonstrating to the team’s medical staff he was very close to full strength. On Thursday, it became clear that a return Sunday would be very possible for the two-time MVP.
The Warriors sit several games below a .500 record and need to string together some wins simply to generate some confidence. The play-in tournament is right around the corner, and Curry has a lot of work to do to fully ramp back up.
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