OAKLAND – Despite tweaking his right ankle and leaving Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the Warriors and Rockets on Saturday, Stephen Curry is optimistic about the possibility of playing in Game 2.
“Right now I don’t see a scenario where I’ll be out,” Curry said after the Warriors’ 104-78 victory at Oracle Arena. “If it’s not right and at risk of further injury or whatnot, that’s the only thing that I think we have to worry about.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Curry’s status for Game 2 Monday night as “questionable,” indicating any further update would wait until Monday.
If the protocol for Game 1 stays in effect, Curry may not make the call. After limping into the locker room in the second quarter and getting his ankle re-taped, he returned after halftime but played only three minutes before being pulled by Kerr.
Putting a compromised Curry on the floor was a risk Kerr chose not to take, especially with a 65-39 lead.
[RECAP: Instant Replay: Curry, Warriors clobber Rockets in Game 1]
“I didn’t like the way he was moving when he went back out in the third quarter,” said Kerr, adding that Curry was questionable for Game 2 Monday night. “He wanted to stay in. But he wasn’t moving well, so we weren’t going to play him regardless of what happened.”
Curry sustained the injury with 2:10 left in the second quarter, when he missed a floater and landed awkwardly on his feet in front of the Warriors bench. He slipped when turning upcourt and immediately began limping. He remained in the game until the 1:07 mark, when he left and was replaced by Shaun Livingston.
“I just tried to change direction, missed the shot, and tried to get back on defense,” Curry said. “And then slipped a little bit and felt it slip or tweak. That’s when the pain kind of came in. I was able to go a couple more possessions and started to get a little bit worse, so coach saw that and subbed in.”
Curry has twice undergone surgery on the ankle, first in May 2011 and again in April 2012, after which he spent nearly four months in recovery and rehab. With a previous history of ankle injuries, he has since worn braces on both ankles.
In the four seasons since, Curry has been a steady presence for the Warriors, playing 315 out of a possible 328 regular-season games. He missed three games this season.
