The Golden State Warriors released a positive injury update on Stephen Curry, signaling that the two-time MVP remains on track for a potential return at home on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry, who suffered a left quadriceps contusion and muscle strain against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 26, has missed the Warriors’ last four games. The team announced that Curry, 37, was re-evaluated and is “making good progress” after initiating individual on-court workouts in the Bay Area. According to the team’s medical bulletin, he could participate in portions of the Warriors’ first practice back home on Wednesday.
The timeline aligns with head coach Steve Kerr’s optimism that Curry can realistically return Friday when the Warriors open a critical homestand.
“Steph’s doing well,” Kerr said before Golden State’s 99–97 win in Cleveland on Saturday. “He started back on the court yesterday, and everything’s going well.”
When asked directly whether Friday remains a realistic target, Kerr answered without hesitation:
“Yeah, it’s realistic for sure.”
Stephen Curry’s Impact: Warriors With and Without Their Franchise Star
Offensive engine remains vital amid roster reshuffling and developing talent
Before his injury, Curry was averaging 27.9 points, 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc, once again serving as the driving force behind Golden State’s offense during a transitional season focused on development.
The Warriors are 9–7 with Curry in the lineup, but just 3–5 without him, even after Saturday’s victory. Curry was expected to miss his fifth straight game Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, the final stop of their three-game road trip.
With four days between Sunday and Friday’s matchup, Golden State has a valuable recovery window — and time to integrate an unexpected emerging contributor.
Pat Spencer Breakout: Two-Way Guard’s Surge Creates New Rotation Question
GettyPat Spencer of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
While Curry has rehabbed, Pat Spencer — in just his second year on a two-way contract — has become one of the Warriors’ most surprising storylines.
Over his last three games, Spencer has averaged 17.3 points on 58.8% field-goal shooting, 5.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds while hitting 6-of-8 from three-point range.
His most emphatic performance came in Golden State’s most improbable win of the season, a gutsy short-handed victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without Curry, Jimmy Butler (knee), Draymond Green (midfoot), Seth Curry (toe) and Al Horford (sciatica) while De’Anthony Melton (knee management), the Warriors rode Spencer’s career night.
He finished with 19 points, seven assists, and a series of clutch plays, including the game-clinching free throws, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Spencer has also leapfrogged former first-round pick Brandin Podziemski in the rotation, earning Kerr’s trust when it matters most.
Kerr praised Spencer’s competitiveness and reality-defying rise.
“We’ve seen what a good player he is… He’s never gonna be Steph, but he’s a threat out there, and that’s what it takes,” Kerr told reporters.
From Lacrosse Final Four to Warriors Starter — Spencer’s Unlikely Journey Continues
Spencer’s ascent is one of the more improbable paths in recent NBA memory.
A star lacrosse attacker at Loyola, he led the team to the 2016 NCAA Final Four and became the No. 1 pick in the Premier Lacrosse League’s inaugural draft in 2019. Rather than pursue a professional lacrosse career, Spencer used his graduate eligibility to transition to basketball at Northwestern.
He later joined the Capital City Go-Go in the G League, earned a Warriors training camp invite, and spent two seasons developing in Santa Cruz before cementing his place in Golden State’s rotation.
Curry Nearing Return, But Spencer’s Rise Creates Golden State Rotation Debate
In the interim, Spencer remains the Warriors’ starting point guard while Curry recovers. But when Golden State returns home and Curry steps back into the lineup — possibly Friday — the Warriors may face a welcome dilemma: how to reward Spencer’s emergence without disrupting the return of their franchise cornerstone.
The next home game may restore the Warriors’ anchor — but Spencer’s rise has already created a new question for Steve Kerr’s rotation.
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