As the Golden State Warriors fight for their lives to avoid falling into the play-in tournament, Steve Kerr's squad was dealt a crushing blow when their fearless leader, Stephen Curry, exited the court versus the Portland Trail Blazers and headed to the locker room during the first quarter.
Taking to social media to break down the situation, Anthony Slater of The Athletic noted that the issue appeared to be Curry's right thumb, which has been causing him problems all season long.
Slater's assertion is correct; Curry has been dealing with thumb issues all season long, with the 11-time All-Star only appearing in 68 games in no small part because of the ailment. Fortunately, it did not keep him out of the Warriors' game against Portland for long, as Curry checked back into the game at the 8:02 mark in the second quarter and was able to play around his normal level, albeit with a bandage on his right hand.
Slater's assertion is correct; Curry has been dealing with thumb issues all season long, with the 11-time All-Star only appearing in 68 games in no small part because of the ailment. Fortunately, it did not keep him out of the Warriors' game against Portland for long, as Curry checked back into the game at the 8:02 mark in the second quarter and was able to play around his normal level, albeit with a bandage on his right hand.
Currently sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, the Warriors are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves with an identical 47-33 record. While it looked like the Warriors would secure some much-needed wiggle room with a win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Harrison Barnes sent a dagger through the hearts of Kerr's squad, leaving the team with very little wiggle room to work with moving forward.
With one more game left to play against the fifth-seed Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors really have the potential to define the final standings based on how they play, with an ability to shake up the play-in tournament depending on how they close things out. While Curry will likely be on the court against the Clippers, all eyes in Golden State will remain on the “Chef's” right hand, as the condition of his thumb could define the offseason campaign.
