Stephen Curry (right ankle) ruled out for Warriors-Rockets Game 2
Stephen Curry will not play for the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, the Warriors announced Monday:
[Follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
The reigning (and likely soon-to-be two-time) NBA Most Valuable Player injured his right ankle late in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 104-78 blowout of the Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday, appearing to hurt himself on a shot attempt near the Warriors bench before looking to be in more serious discomfort after a steal shortly thereafter:
Curry made an attempt to return, but with the Warriors comfortably in command, he sat for the bulk of the second half. He finished with 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including a 5-for-7 mark from 3-point range, with seven rebounds, three steals and two assists in just under 20 minutes of playing time.
Head coach Steve Kerr listed Curry as questionable for Game 2 after Saturday’s win, citing the hope of making another long playoff run to defend their NBA championship and an unwillingness to rush Curry back into action if there was any chance he might jeopardize his star’s well-being. Curry said he expected to play in Game 2 after resting and receiving treatment on Sunday, but after a limited version of his now famous pregame shooting routine on Monday:
… he came off the floor quickly, and not in the happiest of moods:
Not long after his exit, the Warriors announced he’d be unavailable.
That, of course, is great news for Houston, which needs all the help they can get to try to scratch out wins against a Warriors team that just set an NBA record for wins in a regular season, that eliminated a far better version of the Rockets in the 2015 Western Conference finals, and that saw its offensive efficiency drop by nearly 14 points per 100 possessions this season with its record-demolishing 3-point shooting lead dog on the bench. And yet, as fellow All-Star (and newly minted two-time Defensive Player of the Year runner-up) Draymond Green told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the Warriors don’t intend to change anything as they enter Game 2:
“Our mentality in Game 2 is to come out and dominate. On and off the floor. We know we’ve beat this team before without Steph at their place. We know the blueprint. We know what we have to do. If he’s not out there, which in our situation you have to plan for him not to be out there. Then if he is, that is not really an adjustment because we are used to him being out there anyway. Our mentality is still the same. Go out and hit singles. This is not a team where you try to hit home runs. It usually results in turnovers for them, and turnovers result in layups and 3s. Go out and hit singles, use each other and play together.”
In that game, which took place on Dec. 31, 2015, veteran backup Shaun Livingston got the start in Curry’s stead, chipping in 13 points on 6-for-12 shooting, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in 33 1/2 minutes. Klay Thompson exploded for 38 points and Green put up a triple-double in a 114-110 win. It would make sense for Livingston to get the nod again, but there’s always another option:
Whether or not Houston can pull off the upset on Monday, the biggest story remains the possibility that Curry’s ankle doesn’t respond well enough to more rest and treatment for him to get back into the lineup ahead of Game 3 in Houston on Thursday. We’ll learn more in the days ahead, but for now, the Rockets just got the opening they desperately needed after getting embarrassed in Game 1. Now, we’ll have to see if the most disappointing team of the 2015-16 NBA season can take advantage of the opportunity.
More NBA coverage:
Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
Stay connected with Ball Don’t Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, “Like” BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.
