Warriors ruled out Stephen Curry for 10 days as Kristaps Porzingis debuts in 121-110 loss
The warriors were forced into short-term roster juggling after Stephen Curry was ruled out for 10 days while Kristaps Porzingis made his debut in a 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Warriors debut and Curry's timeline
Golden State lost Thursday's game 121-110, a contest in which Porzingis scored 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench in his first appearance for the team. The club announced Curry would be sidelined for the next 10 days and reevaluated at the end of that window; the team also confirmed an MRI taken Wednesday showed no structural damage, but pain and swelling in his right knee have persisted. Coach Steve Kerr described the injury as "just lingering soreness, " and Curry last played on Jan. 30 when he exited after the third quarter following awkward contact on a drive.
MRI clean but soreness lingers
The MRI result came back clean Wednesday, but the pain and swelling have not subsided, prompting the 10-day hold. Sitting out Thursday's game means Curry has missed 17 games this season; the team said he is guaranteed to miss at least five more games as part of the current absence. The club warned that another missed game would make him ineligible for regular-season awards and would break his five-year streak of All-NBA selections.
Porzingis and Horford make first appearances
Porzingis, acquired in a trade-deadline deal from the Hawks for forward Jonathan Kuminga, had been sidelined for more than a month with various setbacks but practiced fully Wednesday and declared himself ready. He finished with 12 points in 17 minutes; veteran Al Horford also returned to play, scoring 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting in 28 minutes. With Curry sidelined and Jimmy Butler III already out for the season, the team said there is little reason to expect aggressive moves to rush other standout players back onto the court.
The warriors’ immediate schedule includes four road tests after Thursday: Denver, New Orleans, Memphis and Los Angeles (Lakers). If Curry is cleared after the 10-day evaluation window, the team listed March 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers as the first potential game for his return.
Curry will be reassessed at the end of the 10-day period, and the club's medical staff will announce his status then; until that reevaluation, the team will proceed without him while integrating Porzingis and Horford into the rotation.
