Warriors still without Stephen Curry as Kristaps Porzingis debuts in 121-110 loss
warriors entered Thursday night missing Stephen Curry after an MRI came back clean but persistent right-knee pain kept him out; Kristaps Porzingis made his debut for the team and scored 12 points in 17 minutes during a 121-110 loss to the Celtics.
Warriors debut: Porzingis scores 12 in 17 minutes
Kristaps Porzingis, acquired in a trade-deadline deal for forward Jonathan Kuminga, returned from more than a month on the sidelines to make his Warriors debut Thursday night, finishing with 12 points in 17 minutes in Boston’s 121-110 victory. Porzingis had participated fully in practice on Wednesday and declared himself ready to play; he said the matchup against his former Celtics teammates felt "Weird, weird. "
Porzingis told reporters he had been working back into basketball shape for a few weeks and felt healthy, and his short stint on Thursday provided a measured start as he builds minutes after the setback that kept him out for more than a month.
Curry's MRI clean but knee flare-up keeps him out
Stephen Curry underwent an MRI in the past 24 hours that came back clean, and he will be re-evaluated again in 10 days, but the team announced he will be sidelined for at least another five games while pain and swelling persist. The club is listing his issue as patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as "runner's knee. "
Coach Steve Kerr said the problem has been "lingering soreness" and that Curry returned to the facility on Wednesday night and told training staff he did not feel ready to participate in a live scrimmage after the swelling flared up following individual workouts. The issue initially appeared during an individual workout on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis, and Curry had missed the last five games before the All-Star break after persistent inflammation forced the team to shut him down.
Curry had said on Feb. 5 that his right knee was "trending in the right direction, " but the team emphasized the need for certainty before clearing him to play. Kerr added that "We've got to be certain" about his return.
Immediate impact and what comes next
The absence of Curry contributed to Thursday’s 121-110 loss in San Francisco; the Warriors are 29-27 and sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. Al Horford also made his first appearance against the Celtics since leaving in free agency last summer, finishing with 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting in 28 minutes.
With Curry scheduled for a re-evaluation in 10 days, the immediate focus for the team is managing his patellofemoral pain syndrome and monitoring any flare-ups that occur after workouts. Porzingis will continue to integrate after his debut, and the next confirmed team milestone is Curry’s follow-up evaluation in 10 days.
