The Golden State Warriors’ hot start hit a jolt on Wednesday night when Stephen Curry left early against the Rockets with what the team called right abdominal soreness.
Curry was done for the game in the first quarter, and there’s no timetable yet for how long he could be out. For a Warriors team that has leaned hard on his brilliance, that’s the kind of news that can change the mood of a season fast.
He had been playing at an MVP level to open the year, putting up 30.1 points per game while shooting 50.3/45.7/98.7. Golden State came into Houston riding an eight-game winning streak, its longest since the 2021-22 championship season, and sitting at 8-3 with the league’s second-best offense.
But the warning signs were already there. This is an older roster, and the margin for error is thin.
The Warriors were already without Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porziņģis, while Brandon Williams and Gary Payton II were also sidelined. Wing Will Richard has been playing through a ligament tear in his thumb, leaving Golden State short on bodies even before Curry’s exit.
Curry appeared to grab at his abdominal area after knocking down his first 3-pointer of the night. He was later seen heading to the locker room with an apparent right hip injury.
The timing makes the situation even more delicate. Golden State is about to enter its toughest stretch of the schedule so far, starting with Houston and then moving on to San Antonio before back-to-back games in Dallas and New Orleans.
For now, the Warriors can only wait and hope the issue is minor. If Curry misses any significant time, the start that looked so promising can turn south in a hurry.
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