Warriors star Stephen Curry ruled out at least two weeks with torn oblique muscle
An MRI confirmed Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry suffered an oblique abdominal tear during Wednesday's loss in Houston, sidelining the NBA's all-time 3-point leader for at least seven games while he averages 27.8 points per night.
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will miss at least two weeks after an MRI exam revealed a torn oblique muscle, stalling a scorching opening month in which the 38-year-old guard had carried an injury-depleted roster near the top of the Western Conference.
The Warriors announced Thursday afternoon that Curry will be re-evaluated in 14 days, ruling him out for at least the club’s next seven games. League insiders noted that soft-tissue abdominal tears routinely require cautious ramp-up periods, leaving Golden State bracing for the possibility that its franchise cornerstone could remain sidelined closer to a full month depending on how the muscle responds.
How the injury unfolded in Houston
Curry began grabbing at his right side just minutes into Wednesday night’s road game against the Houston Rockets, an eventual 115-108 defeat that snapped Golden State’s eight-game winning streak. With 7:22 remaining in the opening quarter, Curry curled off a Draymond Green screen and buried a 28-foot 3-pointer, grimacing sharply in mid-follow-through before signaling to the Warriors’ bench.
He walked straight to the visiting locker room during a timeout with 6:25 left in the first period, was ruled out at the start of the second quarter, and departed the arena at halftime to undergo diagnostic imaging. Afterward, head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that the locker room’s concern level was high because Curry told medical staff he had never felt a tweak like that in his side across 18 NBA seasons.
Stopping a historic shooting start
The setback interrupts one of the most efficient stretches of Curry’s decorated career. Through 10 starts this season, the NBA’s all-time 3-point king was averaging 27.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in just 26.3 minutes per outing while shooting 50 percent overall and a career-best 45.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Keeping the offense afloat without him has historically proved treacherous for Golden State. Last season, the Warriors went 13-26 across the 39 games Curry missed while finishing 37-45 and outside the playoff bracket.
A battered Warriors rotation faces a seven-game test
Curry joins an already crowded training room in San Francisco. Veteran forward Jimmy Butler and wing Moses Moody remain sidelined recovering from knee surgeries, backup guard Brandon Williams is out at least a week with a strained hamstring, and Kristaps Porzingis remains away from the team.
During Curry’s two-week absence—which spans upcoming matchups against the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, surging Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers—Kerr is expected to elevate guard De’Anthony Melton into the starting backcourt while leaning heavier on third-year guard Brandin Podziemski and rookie standout Yaxel Lendeborg. The injury lands less than 24 hours after Los Angeles sports fans absorbed another major blow when the Rams placed All-Pro wideout Puka Nacua on injured reserve for at least four weeks.