The Golden State Warriors seem to be continuing on as if their MVP, Stephen Curry, never existed, playing at just the same high level they showed without Curry against the Rockets in the first round. This time it’s in the 2nd round against an underdog and rejuvenated Portland Trail Blazers team led by Damian Lillard. The Warriors didn’t hesitate to finish the Blazers off in Game 1, winning 118-106, without MVP Curry.
There’s really no telling how well they will continue to play without their best player, but according to Marc Stein of ESPN, Stephen Curry should be good to play sooner than we thought:
Steve Kerr on Steph Curry: “I’m not going to rule him out for Tuesday (Game 2 against Portland) but there’s obviously not much of a chance.”
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 30, 2016
As Steve Kerr also notes, Steph Curry hasn’t even been on the court yet since suffering a right knee sprain in GAME 4 of the Houston series
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 30, 2016
With Curry potentially able to play in Game 2, you can see that recovery is going well for the 3-point specialist. During Sunday’s game 1 vs. the Trail Blazers, ESPN’s Lisa Salters asked Stephen Curry how his recovery progress is going and it sounds like its good news:
Will we be seeing Stephen Curry return back to his team in Game 2? Highly unlikely, because he hasn’t even touched a basketball court yet and he’s sore, but Game 3 is a viable option to return. Game 3 is on Saturday, giving Curry 5 more days of much-needed rest. The Warriors shouldn’t have a problem handling the Trail Blazers in Game 2 if Klay Thompson keeps shooting the way he does, so the Warriors do not have pressure to bring back Curry. Injuries in the Playoffs are always something to be wary about, because you’re never sure if the player will return at 100%, could that be the case for the league MVP?
