Steph Curry is close to making a return to the Warriors lineup, and barring troubles in his rehab, he “intends” to play the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported Thursday night at citing sources.
The Warriors have not set a definitive timeline for Curry’s return, but coach Steve Kerr indicated he would play Sunday before Thursday’s crucial game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center.
Kerr told reporters that Curry resumed training Thursday morning and that the reigning NBA Finals MVP “is looking good.”
Curry won’t play Thursday and Kerr ruled him out for Friday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, but he left the door open to his superstar point guard to play the Lakers on Sunday.
“I suppose that’s it,” Kerr said when asked if Curry could play in the first game of the road trip. “He won’t play tomorrow but we’ll probably reassess it in the next few days.”
Curry was also struggling earlier in the week, according to Bay Area News Group’s Madeline Kenney and Shayna Rubin.
The 34-year-old has been out since February 4 due to partial tears in the upper tibiofibular ligaments and the interosseous membrane as well as a bruise on the left lower leg.
And while Curry hasn’t played in a month, his conditioning shouldn’t be an issue in Kerr’s eyes.
“He worked really hard,” Kerr said. “I think within a few days of the injury he was on the bike. And it was impressive to watch him on the bike going hard. He is truly amazing when it comes to his level of fitness and his commitment to keeping it high. So he has a good chance of coming up and down in the last few days. But before that, he did a lot of 1v0 workouts that involved a lot of running and movement, so he’s getting close.
Although the Warriors issued a statement Wednesday noting that Curry’s availability will be based on his response to full drills and scrimmages, general manager and president of basketball operations Bob Myers joined 95.7 The Game a few hours later and said the Focus is on Curry’s return during the upcoming three-game road trip.
“I mean, that’s the hope,” Myers told 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Wednesday. “I think the reason we can’t give you more definitive information is that it depends on how he’s feeling, whether he can handle the workload. He’s just started doing some live stuff, two-on-two, three-on-three things where he’s coming out and trying to get in touch again, to get comfortable.
“The smart and real answer, you’ll see how he feels tomorrow, you’ll see how he feels the next day. And hopefully that’s how it is. That would be great, but we certainly don’t want him to come back and then not be ready. That would be a big mistake.”
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The Warriors appear to be gaining momentum at just the right time after winning three straight games before taking on the Clippers on Thursday. The streak propelled Golden State to fifth place in the Western Conference.
If the Warriors can end the homestand with two wins, Curry’s return could give them another jolt and allow them to push for a top-four seed in the West.
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