The Golden State Warriors left Sacramento on Friday night with a 124-118 loss and more questions than answers. The fourth quarter fell apart. The offense looked clunky. The defense broke down repeatedly. With one game left in the regular season and a play-in spot already secured, the performance was far from encouraging.
The biggest concern walking out of Golden 1 Center was Stephen Curry limping off the court in the first three minutes after rolling his right ankle on a steal by Kings guard Devin Carter. He returned and finished the game, but never looked right, ending with just 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 27 minutes. After the game, Steve Kerr moved quickly to address it.
Curry will play Sunday in Los Angeles. The ankle is not a concern. And Kerr has a plan for how to use the final game of the regular season wisely.
Kerr Honest About Where Warriors Stand
GettyGolden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr confirmed the plan is for Curry to play against the Clippers on Sunday, with the primary goal being rhythm rather than result. He also acknowledged the Warriors would not be showing their hand too much ahead of Wednesday’s elimination play-in game.
He was measured but direct when assessing what Friday revealed about his team.
“We’re going into Wednesday’s Play-In game without much momentum,” Kerr said. “Without a whole lot of continuity and health and all that. So we’re trying to put it together quickly.”
He still believes. Just not blindly.
“I’ve got lots of hope,” Kerr said. “I think we can win two games, because I know these guys and I believe in them, but I also know that we’re not where we need to be. We showed that tonight.”
The injuries this season disrupted any chance at continuity. The group Kerr wants to go to war with in the play-in has barely played together. Sunday is as much about building familiarity as it is about winning.
Curry Speaks on Ankle After Scare
GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Curry was candid when he met with reporters postgame. His right ankle was resting in a bucket of ice water.
“I’ll be alright,” Curry said. “As long as it’s not my knee, I can deal with ankles; I’ve been dealing with that forever.”
The relief in those words was real. Curry missed 27 consecutive games earlier this season dealing with swelling and soreness in his right knee, so any lower-body issue carries extra weight right now. An ankle tweak is manageable. A knee setback would not be.
Curry put it simply when asked what the path forward looks like.
“48 great minutes,” Curry said. “That’s all we gotta do, it’s all we have in front of us.”
Final Word for the Warriors
The ankle news is as good as it could have been. Curry walking out of Sacramento with a tweaked ankle rather than a knee setback changes the outlook considerably heading into the final weekend.
The bigger challenge is rhythm. Golden State looks like a team still searching for itself, and Wednesday does not offer much margin for error. Sunday in Los Angeles is the last chance to find something worth building on.
Curry has been there before. So has Kerr. That counts for something.
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