Well, I won’t waste your time.
Steph Curry is “Out” per the 8:30 a.m. EDT injury report this morning. That means he will not be putting on his jersey and playing basketball against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. It does not mean that he has to stand outside of the arena twirling a sign around during the game as some have tried to suggest.
You won’t fool me twice. Not again, anyway.
Steph Curry being out adds pressure to a must-win game for the Warriors
I don’t think many people expected Steph’s hamstring to have the type of miraculous recovery necessary to play in today’s game. Hamstring injuries are tricky. Big muscles like that connect to so many other parts of the body. If it’s being activated in an unfamiliar or compromised way, the effects ripple out. Overextension, overcompensation, and improper rest can lead to further injuries in other parts of the body. Or aggravation of the hamstring itself. Bad times.
Steph is incredibly reliant on movement to make not only his game work but the Warriors’ offense work in general. Steph is not quite as quick as he used to be, but he knows better than ever now when to move and where to move off ball. Tracking curry was a full-time job in the Houston series sometimes, even as they dropped into zone somewhat frequently.
Steph is the Warriors. Unfortunately, while they kept it close in game three, no one could rise to the occasion to put them over the top. There were good and unexpected efforts, but when Steph is on the court, everything just becomes a little bit easier for everyone else. That especially matters when the game slows down at the end of the fourth quarter and you start running more specific actions.
So we’ll see who steps up. Is it Playoff Jimmy Time? Does Podz cut his hair? KUMINGA? They have to find and answer tonight if they want to stay alive.