Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry recently spoke to reporters about the hamstring injury he sustained. He described the situation as a `gut punch` and confirmed that there is currently no specific target date for his return to action in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry suffered the injury during the second quarter of Game 1 earlier this week. He immediately clutched his hamstring and subsequently left the game, heading to the locker room and not returning for the remainder of the contest.
Following an evaluation, Curry was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. This diagnosis means he will be sidelined and unavailable to play at least through Game 4, which is scheduled to take place on May 12.
While a potential return for Game 5 in Minneapolis, set for May 14, remains a possibility, his availability is entirely dependent on how his hamstring responds to treatment and the ongoing recovery process. Curry also noted that this is his first time dealing with a hamstring issue of this kind.
“This is new and from all that I`m learning about how quickly you can get back, there has to be a healing process,” Curry explained. “That`s just the way the body works. You can`t accelerate it more than what it`s telling you. After a week, [the medical staff will be] really re-evaluating every day to understand when it`s safe to even think about playing, let alone how much can you push it.”
Curry`s absence is undoubtedly a significant setback for the Warriors. Although they managed to secure a win in Game 1 despite his early departure, their performance during the regular season clearly indicated the team`s enhanced effectiveness when he is on the court. Opposing player Jimmy Butler notably stepped up for the Timberwolves in Game 1.
It remains uncertain whether Curry will be able to return at all during this playoff series. His opportunity to play again may ultimately hinge on whether his teammates can prolong the series against the Timberwolves long enough for his injury to sufficiently heal. Winning Game 1 on the road provided a crucial first step toward potentially creating that window.
Jasper Hawthorne