https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Warriors-say-Steph-Curry-s-foot-injury-to-be-17012316.php

Despite Friday’s revelation that Stephen Curry will miss at least the next two weeks because of sprained ligament in his left foot, the Warriors went about practice with a sense of relief.

At least they didn’t lose Curry for the season. The challenge now becomes persevering until he returns.

“That was the fear going in that it could be worse,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re hoping he’s back for the playoffs and maybe even back for a couple of games before the playoffs, we’ll see how it all goes. But the mood of the team is really strong.”

Forward Andrew Wiggins described a lively practice environment Friday afternoon. He said the team was moving with purpose, excited and competitive. With or without Curry, the team knows it must finish the regular season strong and build momentum heading into the playoffs. And that starts with establishing a certain mentality across the roster.

Curry “averages a whole lot of points, so we all just collectively pitch in and just be a team,” guard Klay Thompson said. “No one’s going to do what he can do individually.

“We’ll just have to pick up the slack and let Steph get healthy. That’s what’s most important, having him when the games are on the line come playoff time.”

Curry suffered the injury late in the second quarter of Wednesday’s loss when Boston’s Marcus Smart landed on his leg while they were diving for a loose ball. Curry didn’t return to the game and underwent an MRI exam that night.

According to multiple reports Thursday, Curry’s X-rays reportedly were negative, revealing no fracture or major damage. With this current timetable, Curry will miss at least seven games. His earliest possible return would be April 2 when the Warriors face the Jazz at Chase Center.

If Curry needs more time, another possibility could be an April 7 return against the visiting Lakers. It would be an ideal window for him because the Warriors have three open days ahead of that game when he could rest or practice with the team.

Dr. Nirav Pandya, a sports-medicine specialist within the UCSF Department of Orthopedic Surgery, told The Chronicle on Thursday that recovery for most foot-ligament sprains takes about four weeks, so there’s still the possibility that Curry won’t return until the playoffs begin.

“The silver lining is Steph will get a break before the playoffs,” Kerr said. “And assuming everything goes well, he’ll be ready to roll.”

Until Curry returns, Kerr wants the Warriors to focus on rediscovering their defensive identity. He believes the team still has plenty of offense, even without Curry. But in the postseason, defense will be the difference between a deep run and an early exit.

“I feel like we can score with anybody, but to win games, we have to step up defensively,” Wiggins said. “Those first two, three months, we were the No. 1 defensive team in the league. We have to get back to that.”

Golden State entered Friday third in the Western Conference, one game behind second-place Memphis and 3 ½ ahead of Utah and Dallas. As the team continues to jostle for positioning in the standings, many games down the stretch will have a playoff feel.

“We wanted the No. 1 seed,” but it doesn’t look like that will happen, Thompson said. “It would be ideal to be the No. 2 seed or the No. 3 seed; to solidify one of those would be nice. But however many games we have left on the schedule, we want to develop an identity of great defense and ball movement before we head into the playoffs, and I know we will.”