Sheesh. The Golden State Warriors secured a solid victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Still, the celebration was dampened by an injury to star guard Stephen Curry, who may be unavailable for at least the following week.
The Warriors will now prepare for Game 2 without their two-time MVP, hoping to continue their momentum as Curry works toward recovery.
Curry sustained what has been diagnosed as a Grade 1 strain in his left hamstring during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The earliest projected return for Curry would be Game 4 on Monday. If the series extends, Game 5 is scheduled for May 14, Game 6 for May 18, and a potential Game 7 on May 20.
The injury occurred after Curry scored on one of his signature floaters with 8:48 left in the second quarter. As he ran back on defense, he clutched his left leg and motioned toward the bench for a substitution. Despite the discomfort, Curry stayed on the floor until the next stoppage in play before heading straight to the locker room. He did not re-enter the game.
In the postgame press conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the uncertainty surrounding Curry’s availability for the remainder of the series.
“[Curry] is obviously crushed,” Kerr said after the game. “We’re definitely game-planning for him to not be available on Thursday. We don’t know yet. With a hamstring, it’s hard to imagine he would play Thursday. … You have to understand what it takes to win a game without your best player. Tonight was a good indication of that.”