Warriors Lose to Pistons as Curry Exits Early with Knee Soreness
The Golden State Warriors are already navigating life without Jimmy Butler, who’s out for the season with a knee injury. Now they’ve got another concern on their hands: Stephen Curry left Friday night’s 131-124 loss to the Detroit Pistons with knee soreness and didn’t return after the third quarter.
Curry had put up 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting in just 25 minutes before heading to the locker room late in the third. While the team hasn’t indicated the injury is serious, the 37-year-old clearly wasn’t moving right before he exited.
The silver lining? Golden State has a few days off before their next matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, giving Curry some time to rest and recover.
Warriors Rally Without Their Star, But Fall Short
Even with Curry in the lineup, the Warriors found themselves trailing by 20 at one point. But this group showed some fight.
Down 13 heading into the fourth, Golden State opened the final quarter with a 19-9 run. Buddy Hield had a clean look at a pull-up three that would’ve tied the game with six minutes left-it rimmed out, and the Warriors never got that close again.
The real damage was done early. Golden State’s defense struggled mightily in the first half, giving up 45 points in the opening quarter and 77 by halftime. Detroit’s athleticism and physicality clearly gave the Warriors trouble, forcing 18 turnovers-most of them coming before the fourth quarter even began.
Balanced Scoring Can’t Mask Defensive Lapses
Despite the loss, the Warriors got production across the board. Eight players scored in double figures, including Draymond Green, who knocked down four threes by early in the second quarter. Green finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists-a stat line that comes amid swirling rumors about his potential inclusion in a trade package for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Veteran big man Al Horford chipped in 13 points along with seven boards, three assists, and two steals. Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski flirted with a triple-double-11 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists-but struggled with his shot, going just 1-of-8 from the field and 1-of-4 from deep.
Off the bench, De’Anthony Melton continued to show his value with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. And young forward Gui Santos turned in another promising performance, adding 16 points and two steals in limited minutes.
Looking Ahead
With the trade deadline looming next Thursday, the Warriors are hoping to have both Curry and Jonathan Kuminga back in action for Tuesday’s game against the Sixers. That matchup marks their final opportunity to make a statement before potential roster shakeups. The team’s depth has shown flashes, but without Curry at full strength, Golden State’s margin for error gets a lot thinner.