Golden State Warriors superstar guard Steph Curry exited Thursday's 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors after taking a hard fall under the basket in the third quarter. The Warriors later announced that Curry had suffered a pelvic contusion and would not return to the game.
Speaking to reporters after the contest, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed that Curry believed he could return to the game, but that the team held him out as a precaution.
"He's getting an MRI right now," Kerr said. "He just kind of fell on the pelvic—tailbone area. He was trying to come back—he thought he might be able to come back and we just decided not to risk anything. So hopefully it's not bad but he's getting imaging right now."
Generally, players are always going to try to return to a game after an injury—it's how they're wired. But the fact that Curry almost immediately had the feeling that he might be able to play after suffering the injury would seem to bode well for Golden State. Of course, the MRI results will provide the most clarity.
But it's worth noting that, even if the injury ends up being minor, the Warriors are likely to be cautious with the 37-year-old sharpshooter. After a loss against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in which Curry struggled with his shot, Kerr told reporters that the veteran guard is "exhausted" and that the club will need to "absolutely consider" giving him a night off to recuperate.
On Thursday night, Kerr added that the pelvic contusion is an injury Curry had "a couple years ago." Curry missed five games in 2021 with a tailbone injury.
Given the fatigue he's been dealing with, his prior history with the injury and Golden State's championship aspirations, it's likely that Curry will sit out an extra few games—provided the injury isn't a serious one—in an abundance of caution.
Curry, in his 16th season, was named an All-Star for the 11th time. He is averaging 24.2 points, 6.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 39.4 percent from the three-point line in 60 games this season.
The Warriors (41-29) have a day off Friday before embarking on a six-game road trip, beginning with Saturday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steve Kerr Says Steph Curry Thought He Could Return to Game After Suffering Injury .
