The Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 125-115, but they may have suffered a huge loss.
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry sustained a sprained right ankle after stepping on E’Twuan Moore’s foot with just under one minute left in an attempted closeout play.
Curry immediately limped off of the court. At first glance, it looked like a pretty bad sprain. (Check out the video below).
After the game, Curry had an X-ray, and it came back negative. He will reportedly undergo an MRI on Tuesday. Curry exited the locker room on crutches, but he appeared to be in good spirits.
Steph Curry leaving the arena pic.twitter.com/GPZc133aU1
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 5, 2017
In his postgame interview below, shot by our very own Mark Medina, Curry said he was going to monitor the swelling and “get the rehab process started as soon as possible.”
He called the play in which he sustained the injury “a dumb play because I tried to go for the steal.” Curry said he couldn’t catch himself, and was immediately in pain.
When asked what he was thinking when he sustained the injury, Curry didn’t hesitate in his response.
“I had to call my dad and tell him I can’t play golf tomorrow in Charlotte,” said Curry, with a smile.
Stephen Curry on his health. He's keeping a positive outlook. pic.twitter.com/ygoqoqsMMu
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 5, 2017
Now for the game.
KEY MOMENT
The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to overcome two 20-point halftime deficits in the same season.
They trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half and were down at halftime, 69-49, before opening the third quarter with a 15-0 run. The Warriors also overcame a 22-point halftime deficit against Philadelphia on Nov. 18.
STOCK UP
Curry — He had a team-high 31 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. If the Warriors have to play without him for an extended period, it will be a huge blow to the team. But hold off on the violin music — they have three other All-Stars.
Draymond Green — He had 19 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots.
STOCK DOWN
Kevin Durant — He had seven turnovers and scored only 19 points. Oh, and he got ejected for the second time this road trip and the third time this season.
It happened with 1 minute and 14 seconds left after he and DeMarcus Cousins exchanged heated words. Both of them had to be restrained by their respective teams before they were tossed. Check out the video below.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
8: Curry became the eighth player in NBA history on Monday to make at least 2,000 3-pointers. He made five 3-pointers against the Pelicans.
2: The Warriors held Jrue Holiday to just two points in the fourth quarter. It was quite an impressive feat considering through the first three quarters, he had 32 points. He still finished with a season-high 34 points.
-32: That was the plus-minus rating for DeMarcus Cousins, who played 31 minutes. Cousins still had 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. So maybe take that plus-minus rating with a grain of salt.
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
Klay Thompson on Curry’s injury: “It’s not good. Hopefully he’ll be alright in time. There’s no need to rush him back, but it’s definitely not good. He hasn’t had [ankle issues] in years, he’ll be back and he’ll be stronger than ever. I just want him to take his time and feel 100 percent.”
REPLAY OF THE GAME
Here’s an example of the Warriors’ selfless play and amazing ball movement. At the top of the third quarter, Durant got the steal, Curry dribbled it cross-court and dished a no-look pass to Klay Thompson, who then threw it to JaVale McGee for the jam.
Dunks are fun 🙃 #DubNation pic.twitter.com/2ZYuDygAKs
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 5, 2017
UP NEXT
The Warriors, who are 4-0 on this trip, will now travel to Charlotte to play the Hornets.
