NBA Finals: Warriors star Steph Curry ‘confident’ he’ll play in Game 4
NBA Finals: Steph Curry came out with apparent injury in Warriors loss
to Celtics in Game 3
>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry
(30) grimaces as Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) lands on his leg during
a loose ball involving Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart (36) and Golden
State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3) in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the
NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry
(30) grimaces as Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) lands on his leg during
a loose ball involving Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart (36) and Golden
State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3) in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the
NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 9, 2022 at 11:22 a.m. | UPDATED: June 9, 2022 at 2:34 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/09/nba-finals-warriors-expect-steph-curry-to-play-in-game-4/

BOSTON — Stephen Curry is “confident” he’ll be available Friday night
even if it means he’ll have to play through pain.

“I’m going to play. That’s all I know right now,” Curry said Thursday
after an injury scare in Game 3 of the NBA Finals the night before.
“It’s just a pain tolerance thing that you’ve got to deal with.
Obviously, at this point in the series, if you are good enough to play,
play.”

Curry was visibly shaken up in the closing minutes of the Warriors’
116-100 loss to the Celtics Wednesday night after Boston center Al
Horford rolled up on Curry’s left leg while diving for a loose ball late
in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green said he heard Curry wailing from
the bottom of the pile-up and pushed a Celtics player off the distressed
Warriors superstar, resulting in his sixth foul and a game ejection.

>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) sits
on the foot of Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth
quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on
Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Despite the apparent injury, Curry remained in the game for about two
more minutes before coach Steve Kerr pulled the starters with 2:19 left
because the Warriors were down 14 with little chance of a comeback. But
after the loss, the Warriors were all concerned for Curry’s left foot.

Curry, who made six 3-pointers and scored 31 points, compared the injury
to a similar incident he experienced the last time the Warriors played
the Celtics in March, which caused him to miss the final 12 games of the
regular season with a sprained ligament and bone bruise in his left
foot. In Golden State’s March 16 loss at Chase Center, Boston guard
Marcus Smart rolled over Curry’s foot as the two dove for a loose ball.

“When I did it in the regular season, I knew right away that something
was severely wrong,” Curry said. “Last night, I knew I was hurt, but it
was not as bad. I could kind of gauge whether I should stay out there or
not and not do any more damage. That’s why I’m very confident I’m going
to play tomorrow and keep it moving.”

>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry
(30) lays on the ground after a play against the Boston Celtics in the
fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston,
Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Curry didn’t need to undergo advanced screening on his injured foot. He
spent the 12 hours after the collision in Game 3 resting while
occasionally dunking his left foot in an ice bucket.

Thursday was a rest and recovery day for the Warriors high-usage
players, while the lower-minute guys got some shots up at TD Garden.

“We expect him to play tomorrow,” Kerr said of Curry, “but I don’t have
any details.”

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Curry couldn’t disclose the level of pain he’s experiencing or whether
he would’ve powered through this injury for a regular-season game. He
also didn’t believe the foot soreness would hamper his mobility.

“I’m good enough to play,” he said.

>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 09: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry
(30), speaking at a press interview, Thursday, June 9, 2022, at TD
Garden in Boston, Mass., says he’s gonna play tomorrow. Curry injured
his left foot yesterday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. (Karl Mondon/Bay
Area News Group)

Curry’s health is paramount to the task of overcoming a 2-1 deficit in
the best-of-seven Finals series. Only one day separates Game 3 and Game
4 in Boston — shrinking the recovery time for Curry.

With Curry not at 100%, other Warriors players will need to step up,
including Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.

After an inefficient start to the series, Thompson bounced back in Game
3, nailing five 3-pointers and scoring 25 points. Meanwhile, Poole has
struggled on both ends of the court throughout this series, save for an
impressive second-half outburst in the Warriors commanding Game 2 win.

“We just need to help Steph in general. He has been incredible this
series, we’ll all do our best,” Thompson said. “We’ll respond. I think
we’ll come correct tomorrow, and I’m just excited for the opportunity.
We still have a chance to even out the series and take home-court
advantage.”

>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 09: Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson
ponders a reporter’s question, Thursday, June 9, 2022, during an off-day
press interview for the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. (Karl
Mondon/Bay Area News Group)