1:43pm: “We expect (Curry) to play tomorrow,” Kerr told reporters, including Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kerr added that the team won’t practice Thursday and will instead use it as a rest and treatment day, tweets ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
“I’m going to play. That is all I know right now,” Curry said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link).
11:51am: The Warriors are optimistic about Curry’s status for Game 4, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Curry apparently has avoided a major injury, won’t need an MRI, and plans to attend practice Thursday afternoon, says Charania.
7:36am: The Warriors fell behind 2-1 in the NBA Finals after losing to the Celtics in Game 3 on Wednesday, but they may have a more significant concern going forward than that one-game deficit. Star guard Stephen Curry sustained a left foot injury late in the game and likened it to the one he suffered vs. Boston in March, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
Battling for a loose ball with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Curry dove to the floor and got tangled up with Celtics big man Al Horford, who rolled onto Curry’s leg (video link). Curry came up limping, though he was able to stay on the court for nearly two more minutes before being subbed out once the Celtics put the game out of reach.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Curry said the injury felt similar to the left foot strain he suffered when Marcus Smart fell on his leg on March 16. That foot strain sidelined him for the final 12 games of the regular season, but the two-time MVP said it’s “not as bad” this time around and he’s hopeful the injury responds well to treatment over the next couple days.
“Obviously, in some pain, but I’ll be alright,” Curry said, according to Andrews. “We’ll see how it responds. Not much other to say. I don’t feel like I’ll miss a game. Take advantage of these next 48 hours to get ready.”
Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the team would know more about Curry’s status on Thursday.
Although Boston’s defense has made Curry work hard for his points in the first three games of the Finals, he’s still the series’ leading scorer by a comfortable margin, having put up 31.3 PPG on .485/.486/.833 shooting.
“We need him if we want to win this thing,” Klay Thompson said after Wednesday’s loss, per Andrews. “I know Steph is going to do everything he can in his power to play. I am really hoping he’s OK because he’s our identity, and without him, it will be very difficult.”
Smart, who was involved in the play that caused Curry’s initial left foot injury in March, defended his teammate Horford after the game, dismissing the idea that Horford’s play was a reckless or dirty one.
“It’s the Finals. You’ve got guys diving all over the place. Their guys are diving into us. We don’t say nothing,” Smart told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “We’re getting hurt as well, but we continue to play. Nothing is intentional. It’s the Finals. We’re trying to win just like them. First one to the ball, as we all know, wins. They can complain all they want. It is what it is. There’s nothing dirty about it. It’s fair game. It’s fair basketball. It’s Finals basketball. … Nobody is out here trying to hurt anybody.”
Wasn’t dirty at all and I highly doubt Curry misses a gAme. Play Ball!
I agree with Smart.
By the way, Boston is playing really well.
GSW is in trouble. Looking forward to game 4!
I agree with him up until the “we dont say nothing” part, which is a massive lie.
The Celtics sure do flop a lot. Udoka has trained them well!
You think the Celtics are up 2-1 playing for a chip cuz they flop bro?
Haters gotta hate…
Wow Warriors behind the 8 ball now. If you are going to look at it as most do, by the latest game, then the worry is legitimate in San Francisco.
But everyone was talking this way after game one as well. And game 2 what happened? Blowout.
Can only hope Curry can go full strength Friday. I know the Celtics would want face the Warriors and 100% Also. Let’s see if Golden State bounces back like I think they will.
Again, let me say this, don’t be mesmerized by the latest shiny thing and lose focus. A nice win is a nice win, but a nice win does not win a series. The Celtics have two nice wins and the Warriors have one blowout win.
Let’s see what happens Friday before anyone starts crowning a championship after a single victory again.
I agree that this is not over but the Celtics have the upper hand until GSW can regain home court advantage. They MUST win on friday, if not it will be almost impossible to comeback for GSW.
Except that…the Warriors know all too well that a 3-1 lead is not a championship. The Celtics should know this also.
True but that series where the Warriors lost that 3-1 lead is the only time it’s ever happened in the NBA Finals.
I mean, you’re right. But the Warriors pretty much have to win game 4, while Boston does not.
It seems to me that this entire postseason has seen a ton of lopsided victories by every team in every series. No one team has been dominant. There’s been a few close games but not many.
Ain’t no way he’s missing this game. Warriors pretty much in must-win position now
Sure would be nice if Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson acted like Splash Brothers again. That would be great.
You know maybe 30 points or 33 points or something like earlier in the playoffs when we were going crazy as Warriors fans. That’d be really nice right now. Warriors could use that.
Players have now figured out their opponents. Poole may be too young.
Steph getting FMVP but no chip probably going to happen, Kerr is the worst coach in the NBA.
It was a dirty play in the context of the game (Horford already jumped into Stephs landing space earlier and Steph landed on his foot) and Boston are always a dirty team, cutting into GSWs shootaround because they raised the ring on their side of the court pregame before shootaround, just traditional Boston Bush League stuff. What a comically “bad guy” team.
If you are a C’s fan you should know you are the bad guys, always. You deserve no happiness, ever.
It was dirty, Steph carelessly went careening over Smart’s back. He could’ve really hurt Smart there.
Nah. It’s the finals and it was a lose ball, everyone should go after it! You are the Warriors fan that makes all other Warriors fans look bad.
Tacocat, Say it isn’t so !!!
He is not us, he’s on a different continent.., in his head !! LOL
Dirty Smart already took out Curry’s legs and made him miss a month in the regular season, what a casual take and what a crybaby “carelessly careening” – Steph didnt hurt Smart, but Smart hurt Steph – stop lying, Smart and Boston are absolutely NOT the victim here, no matter how badly you want to lie about this.
Boston looks mid, GSW look like champs, its just Kerr being very dumb and it costing them games, like always….
All Celtics fans are bad. You are one of them. Grow up, your team is the bad guys, always have been always will be. You are literally the Yankees of the NBA, everyone rightfully hates you, just lean into it and accept reality, dont lie about it and try to turn into sympathy for the biggest cheating sports city in the USA.
Now that was funny.
Mission accomplished! I only replied to your asinine comment to get a rise out of you.
Smart wasn’t playing dirty when he took out Steph earlier in the season, even Steph said that Smart was just trying to make a hustle play. He was going for a lose ball, just like Horford, just like Curry and just like about 4 other guys in this instance.
I am now however confused. When the Warriors played the Grizz and I criticized Green for his persistent whining and reckless play on Brooks back then I was just like all the other Evil Grizzlies and their Evil fans and now I’m an evil Celtics fan that roots for the evil Celtics. Which is it?
I’ll give you a hint. I don’t “hate” the Warriors or any team in any sport for that matter and that includes the teams everyone loves to hate like the Lakers, Yankees or Cowboys. I love to watch the game and the spirit of competition. I like to watch any athletic endeavor. Hell I’ve been known to watch a cricket match now and again even though I’m only half sure of what they’re doing. Sure I have teams I follow but I try to objective.(for the NBA my team plays it home games in Salt Lake)
Curry FMVP but no championship is a joke. Tell me you don’t know anything about basketball with telling me
A joke? Its probably going to happen. Grow up. Actually watch the games for once.
No one gonna vote like that.
Another beautiful post by A’sfaninLexington. I apologize as he is NOT the face of our fandom. In fact I call him out so often he’s muted me.
Can’t wait till Friday. Should be epic showdown… can the Warriors show us they’re not done and old and that this 7 year run is not over?
See Gary, you I like. More often than not you bring useful observations into the discussion and ask good questions about college players that you don’t get that much exposure too. It’s obviously with a Warriors bias but there’s nothing wrong with that we all have a team we follow.
On top of that you’re a fellow Red Sox fan so you’re already an upstanding person in my book.
Don’t worry about it; every fanbase has them. Knowledgeable fans such as yourself outweigh his drivel
A Warriors and red Sox fan. Bandwagon much?
As I have explained many times, with the Red Sox in the 80s and 90s it was twenty years of crap. A lot of disappointments and let Downs and burning my hat every August.
Became a Red Sox fan in 1978 and haven’t looked back. The last 15 or so years have been glorious !! They’ve put together a nice run but I can remember in Southern California in the 80s listening to the radio in my car because I didn’t have a television and Calvin schiraldi steamrolling through AL playoffs. Good times till the Mets showed up LOL
In the mid-80s I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and started following those last place Warriors teams. Larry Smith, Terry teagle, Lester Conner, sleepy Floyd, Tom Tolbert, Ralph Sampson, Jim Peterson, and that’s just off the top of my head.
Then Don Nelson came over and things started looking up. They actually made the playoffs. Run TMC was very exciting and then I called in sick at work for the Chris Webber draft and that trade finally put it all together. We had our big man !!
What happened? Tim Hardaway tore his ACL in camp and Avery Johnson led the team to… not much. Then again Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, etc, grew up around last mid-decade and the Warriors have been rolling.
Really paid off because there’s only been two good eras in the last 40 prior. Run TMC then 2007 was still a second-round exit to the Jazz and Derek Fisher, who they just traded to Utah !! LOL.
So all this to say that bandwagon is hardly the case here. Those here that have been around know because I can run down the histories both teams and my experiences crawling in a closet every year because my teams sucked badly.
Times are good now and all those suffering years were worth it. Nope, no bandwagon here.
Dang … really cool seeing your history with the teams. It’s amazing to see how the fanbase has changed over the years. People complaining about little things just makes me laugh. If they only knew those really dark days of futility lol, I just appreciate the team and especially Steph. Once in a lifetime talent and he’s ours. I’d love another ring and a FMVP but as a long time fan, I’ve learned to just enjoy his talent and the experiences … with or without another ring.
We all knew it was going to 7 games. No reason to panic whatsoever especially with Curry playing at his best in postseason. It will be epic and the game 7 will be at CHASE!
Doubt they win another. Boston too strong, too young, too big, too physical. GS lucked out on their first three opponents, catching Dallas post peak (and beaten up), Memphis with a hurt (and then out) Ja, and Denver without their shooters. Playoffs are always this way. Every year a team gets a golden path to the finals. Then they run into reality.
Been a nice dead cat bounce for them this year, though.
Seamaholic, I wouldn’t quite go there yet. I mean what happened in game two?
Celtics didn’t try?
Someone got hurt?
They had a guy or two out and not playing?
The referees? Which is it?
Friday will tell us everything. If the Warriors are still contenders, they’ll win Friday. If they’re done, Celtics will roll.
Hold on to the gloating and the sizing of the Rings till late Friday night. Don’t be distracted by the shiny object of the latest quarter of good basketball. Didn’t you do that after game one? Oh.., then game two happened. Still lots of basketball left.
Golden path to the finals and then a dose of reality? Aren’t the Warriors going for number 4 out of 7 here?
I mean, there has been a lot of “Warriors in 6” or “Warriors in 5” going on.
That stuff didn’t bother you, but “Celtics in 5” does?
Orien, it doesn’t “bother” me, I’m just refuting it and giving my opinion. That’s what this comment section’s all about. Bring it.
He might be right I might be right and everything is good. I love this stuff. Hate to go 4-0 either way.., I’d rather be entertained and be jumping up and down in my chair pointing my finger at the TV LOL. I don’t do that but inside sometimes I want to.
I welcome other opinions and then I challenge and give my own. All good.
I got ya, just doin the same.
I got Havlickek’s autograph when I was 5 years old…so I am biased!
Yes I’m biased too, but I think we are fans of our teams, yet we are basketball fans also. We can watch and appreciate good hoops.
I’m like a lot of guys here in that I played ball so that’s an even different level. When guys do what they do it amazes me sometimes because of course I can’t even imagine doing it myself. A whole nother level of appreciation.
By the way I bumped into Dave cowens a few months ago. What a super nice guy !!
Second side note, I meet you halfway because I am a die-hard Red Sox fan. Since I was a kid. Been to Fenway like 15 or 20 times. Trying to go again this summer. The reason I’m a Warriors fan is because I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 80s.. started liking basketball and there you have it.
My dad used to drink with Cowens. Old school.
I remember when my Warriors hired Dave cowens to coach the team. There was a big article in the San Francisco Chronicle about how he drove his car across country and slept in his car on the way. He was one of those guys.
When he played for the Celtics I think he drove a taxi in the offseason, stuff like that. Down to earth guy.
One More by the way, when I roll into town this summer I’m going to play ball in Sommerville next to that hockey rink. Good Times.
I don’t know why you’re bringing up injuries to Warriors’ opponents while ignoring the injured teams Celtics faced.
Celtics were pushed to 7 games against a Middleton-less Bucks and an injured Heat team. Not to mention an overrated Nets team with poor defense and they were missing Simmons.
Injuries are a part of the game. Remember that. Where were you when Warriors were missing Thompson for 2 years or Wiseman for this season?
Celtics are the better team in the finals but saying Warriors had an easy path whereas Celtics didn’t is kind of hypocritical. Both teams benefited from injuries to their opponents.
Captain Ron you are absolutely correct and it happens every year. The Warriors themselves lost Payton, Curry’s ankles at this point in his career probably never stop hurting and Klay is still trying to play back into form.
The playoffs are just as much about attrition as they are about matchups, players stepping up and coaching.
Captain…
Celtics swept the Nets…not much to see here.
Do you really think GS could handle the Bucks size with or without Middleton? Nope, nobody does.
So you are saying that Nets, Bucks, Heat = Nuggets, Griz and Suns? Cant say I agree with that.
Correct me if I am wrong, but didnt Marcus Smart AND Timelord miss multiple games in both the Heat and Bucks series? Just asking for a friend who is big on hypocrisy?
Sorry i meant Mavs. not Suns.
Please excuse the error.
It’s a game of adjustments. Warriors would have adjusted to Bucks.
Middleton is Bucks’ second best player and their best scorer. Him being in the line-up changes everything. He’s more important to the Bucks than Williams is to Celtics. There’s no comparison.
Smart only missed one game in the Bucks’ series and two games in the Heat series and Williams still ended up playing in some games. Bucks had no Middleton for the entire series and Heat were more banged up than Celtics.
So making excuses about injuries when they faced injured teams themselves doesn’t change anything.
This series is over in 5 or 6. Celtics are bigger, stronger, faster, quicker and more athletic than the Warriors and the Warriors know it.
Draymond’s antics will not save them. Only Steph going unconscious will save them and that is getting less likely every time White, Brown, Smart and Tatum match up with him.
Warriors desperately need another scoring option other than Steph and Klay.
Only if Scott Foster is the Ref. He calls fouls only on GSW. Only Ref GSW has had a losing record even with KD time. Scott Foster has also ejected more Warriors than any other NBA Ref. Both games Celtics won he was the top Ref.
This was going to be GSW in 5 until Foster showed up. How do you drive 38 times to the bucket and only get 1 foul? Pathetic. Curry gets tackled and his legs targeted out by the dirty Al Whoreford. No respect for Boston, they shouldn’t even be here, this was Milwaukee’s spot and they stole it because of an injury.
Yeah, the Celtics are winning this because they are the better team.
I already know that.
It helps a lot when the ONLY Ref that the warriors dynasty has a losing record when he officialities a game is involved in both Celtics win. NBA wants a 7 game series. Seen it before with Cavs.
No, GSW failed to close out and CLE was less injured than in 2015. Very simple except to a homer or Bron-hater.
Lol, because the road team usually gets 12 more free throws than the home team in Finals game 7s, right? “Interesting” that Steph and Klay shooting only 1 fta on 36 shots is supposedly their fault (for examples, compare to gm 4 in Cleveland where they shot 17 ftas, gm 5 (13), gm 6 (16). Iman Shumpert shot 3 times as many free throws on 3 fgas!
No way Draymond deserved the retroactive suspension, and Sreph getting fouled out was the only time the league MVP was fouled out in a regulation length finals game.
I’m so glad to be wrong about this. I was treating the Warriors as the underdogs and fortunately they delivered big time.
The Warriors carved that so-called “best” defense. Curry is now GOATed.
Lol it didn’t really mattered. Celtics and their fans are such an arrogant bunch. This couldn’t have happened to a better team.
Warriors won 3 row after being down 2-1. They punked them at their home court. Just awesome.
Love Marcus Smart’s develped post up game and driving to the right for layups! And of course Derrick White has a similar game and a floater. These two have really helped!
Go Celtics!
Derrick White has been instrumental. The Celtics went 33-13 after acquiring White. He’s one of those glue guys that doesn’t care what his stats look like as long as his team wins. He’ll score 20 if the matchups right or he’ll be the screener to get Tatum and Brown open on pin downs and only score 4 pts. He gives the Stars like the support they need so that can be Stars.
Go FLOPPERS!!!
The GSW aren’t running out their “deadly 5” or whatever they call it because the Celtics would easily bully them with Green playing the 5. To me teams need to start using length to beat the GSW. Go ahead…… talented bigs vs Green’s non-shooting butt. Attack him constantly and get him in foul trouble. Brown, Tatum and Smart can stay in front of their guards and Wiggins is talk but not at all a physical deterrent.
kerr actually did that deadly 5 last night way too much and the Celtics ruled the boards. Looney played only 17 minutes. Most warrior fans would agree they need a healthy Wiseman. Looney should be in to block out Williams.
Yeah, you nailed it here. Not a fan of either team but it struck me as funny that the pundits talked so much about Warrior shooters but downplayed the Celtics ability to simply muscle them underneath and on defense. I certainly didn’t see that coming
Disappointed in the play of Green and Wiggins. Maybe they’ll snap out of it but it’s hard to see it happening. The former seems to be drunk on his ability to talk smack and yelp at refs rather than focusing on what matters while the latter has seemed lost. Expected better
The Celtics are playing an old school style like the old Pistons teams that is reaping dividends so far
Before the start of the finals, ESPN’s NBA basketball power index gave the Celtics an 86% chance to win the title. I don’t think the pundits really underestimated the Celtics that much.
They clearly have been the better team.
Agreed, they have been. You note ESPN collectively here. Some of these guys showing up in morning shows clearly haven’t been watching
Love what Dan Patrick said about Draymond Green…that he needs to remember to play basketball. He seems so focused on “mind games” and podcasting that he seems to forget he needs to also play basketball.
Firstly, if I was reffing the game, l probably make the same call on the scrum where Horford uses Curry as a landing pad. Scrums are hard to call and there is a tendency to follow the ball rather than the collisions elsewhere. But if I see the replay, Horford acted too clumsy to be believed.
Problem with Horford diving on Curry:
Horford WAS NOT GOING FOR THE BALL— and Curry was. Look at Horford’s angle of approach— it was for the player (Curry), not the ball, which Curry was working to corral.
An expert rule-abuser will take the opportunity to ram an opponent behind a rolling ball, because the refs don’t try to calculate the vectors. The aim is to get a free strike in. I wish this could be said out loud, instead of the lie “I was going for the ball” or the favorite all-purpose, “incidental contact”.
But that’s the way it goes, actually in every sport. The situation is worse in football— Safeties aim for the receiver, not the ball, as their technique. The commissioner squirms but does not interfere, much.