The Golden State Warriors are playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the final game of the regular season in a matchup that will feature NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
While Curry has been in and out of the Warriors’ injury report since returning from his knee injury, the three-point specialist is suiting up for the team’s season finale against the Clippers.
However, while Curry did say he wanted to play as much as possible, the star is expected to be on a minutes restriction for Sunday.
Before the game, Golden State confirmed its starting lineup and final injury report for the game that matters a lot more for Los Angeles, currently fighting to clinch a Play-In Tournament spot, than it does for the Bay Area franchise.
Stephen Curry Injury Update
Curry tweaked his ankle in the Warriors’ last game against the Sacramento Kings, but said that, nor his knee injury, would be an issue for the contest on Sunday.
“Said the knee felt ‘pretty good, better than last game’ and he isn’t worried about the ankle tweak. ‘I’ve been dealing with ankles forever,’” Anthony Slater wrote in a post on X.
Curry didn’t end up leaving the game against the Kings due to the ankle injury, and while he said he wanted to play as much as possible, he is expected to be on a minutes restriction against the Clippers.
“Kerr thinks Curry can get up to 30 minutes,” Slater wrote in a separate post.
Curry has played an average of 26 minutes since coming back from the knee injury, so it’s a bit of a ramp up for the 38-year-old star.
Warriors Starting Lineup Vs Clippers
In a post on X, the Warriors confirmed their starting lineup for the Sunday game against the Clippers.
Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis were all named starters by head coach Steve Kerr and his staff.
This isn’t a lineup the Warriors have used this season, but based on the team’s injury report and final health updates, it’s what they are going with to end the regular season.
Kerr had said that he wanted to see how Curry and Porzingis play together, and he’ll get that chance on Sunday, while also seeing the impact of players like Podziemski and Melton alongside the recently returned franchise star.
Warriors Injury Report
While the Warriors are going into Sunday with a few players who have been recently featured on the injury report, that doesn’t mean the team isn’t facing some health concerns in the final game of the regular season.
For the contest against the Clippers, Golden State ruled out Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, LJ Cryer, Quinten Post, and Draymond Green.
Green was questionable heading into the day, but was ruled out hours before tipoff.
Though it might seem like the Warriors are facing a lot of injuries, which they are, the team’s injury report for Sunday is not as loaded as it has been in the past.
Horford, Porzingis, and Curry are three players Golden State has been without recently, but all are playing against Los Angeles.
There was also an initial concern about Curry missing the game after tweaking his ankle on Friday, but the star maintained he was fine and didn’t expect to miss any time.
Warriors Playoff And Play-In Tournament Scenarios
Golden State is locked into the tenth seed in the West, that has been the case for the past few games.
They will need to win at two games in the Play-In Tournament in order to just get to the playoffs and have a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the team’s in front of them have yet to be decided.
The Warriors will either play the Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers in the Play-In, depending on if either team wins or loses on Sunday.
If they can get past the ‘9-10’ matchup, they’ll play one of those two teams or the Phoenix Suns in the second-round of the Play-In just to have a chance to play the Thunder.
Still, Kerr has said that with a healthy Curry, they can make waves in the playoffs, even if that involves going up against the defending champions.
Until then, the Warriors have a game to play, as their contest against the Clippers tips off at 5:30 pm PST to close out the regular season.
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