The Golden State Warriors’ eight-game surge hit a wall Wednesday night, and the bigger issue wasn’t the 115-108 loss to the Houston Rockets. It was Stephen Curry walking off after just about six minutes with right abdominal soreness, leaving Friday’s meeting with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs hanging in the balance.
Golden State had clawed its way back from an 0-3 start and looked like a team settling into the season. That changed quickly once Curry exited. The Warriors were still waiting on more information after the game, and MRI results were not immediately available, which makes his status one of the league’s biggest questions heading into the weekend.
The Rockets took advantage of the situation and leaned on a strong all-around night from Alperen Sengun, who finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Kevin Durant added 20 points, and Houston’s size plus offensive versatility proved to be the difference. Even so, Golden State stayed in the fight after losing its most important player early in the opening quarter.
Friday’s matchup brings another tough test, and the timing could hardly be more awkward for the Warriors. San Antonio is rolling on a 10-game winning streak after rallying from 22 points down Wednesday to beat Chicago 124-119. Wembanyama led that comeback with 32 points and nine rebounds, continuing the run that has put the Spurs among the Western Conference’s most dangerous teams.
The NBA Cup group-stage game in San Antonio now carries an extra layer of uncertainty because of Curry’s health. It’s a matchup that already had plenty of intrigue: Curry’s perimeter game against Wembanyama’s rare mix of size, shooting and rim protection. But Golden State’s immediate concern is less about the chess match and more about whether its franchise cornerstone is available at all.
For now, the Warriors are left with the same question everyone else is asking: how long will Curry be out, and what does that mean for a team that had finally found its footing?
In Other News...
Wembanyama Just Gave Spurs Fans Another Unreal Moment To Debate
Victor Wembanyama keeps finding new ways to make the ordinary look absurd, and his latest highlight came in the third quarter against the Bulls. The Spurs big man launched into a two-hand dunk from the free-throw line, the kind of play that instantly turns a regular night into another entry in the growing Wembanyama highlight reel.
It also came in the middle of a game where he was already stuffing the stat sheet, with San Antonio ahead in the fourth quarter and Wembanyama sitting on 32 points, eight rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Given the way he has been playing all season, with elite production on both ends and a shooting touch to match, the only real debate left is how many more moments like this he can still create before the league runs out of ways to react. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A DeAaron Fox Problem They Cant Ignore
DeAaron Fox has been one of the Spurs most important creators since arriving from Sacramento, and the ball is in his hands more often than ever. He still leads San Antonio in assists, which speaks to how much the offense has leaned on him to organize possessions and get others involved, but the scoring punch that once made him such a difficult cover has not traveled with him.
Fox is averaging 13.9 points per game this season, a steep drop from the level he showed when the Spurs acquired him. The bigger concern is not just the number itself, but the way it has come about: he looks less aggressive hunting his own shot, and that shift has put his offensive role under the microscope while also raising questions about how the league will view his trade value if this version of him sticks around. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Hot Start Still Leaves One Big Tobias Harris Question
Nine straight wins have given the Spurs plenty to like early, but the one major piece they have not yet been able to factor in is Tobias Harris. His absence has left San Antonio to keep sorting through a rotation that is already working, even as the veteran forwards expected return looms as a potential boost in size and shooting.
Harris is the kind of addition that can change the shape of a lineup without forcing the Spurs to tear up what has gotten them off to such a strong start. The open question is where he fits once he is available, since his role could be determined by the coachs decisions and could land anywhere from the starting five to a more defined bench role. [Read more 🡒]