Stephen Curry authorized for practice in recent advancement toward comeback
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has finally received medical clearance to participate in a five-on-five scrimmage on Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant advancement toward a possible return from his ongoing right knee injury.
Curry will be sidelined for his 26th consecutive game on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr has labeled him as “doubtful” for Thursday night’s home matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We need to see how he reacts to the scrimmage, and we’ll proceed from there,” Kerr stated.
Curry initially experienced pain and swelling in his right knee following a workout in Minneapolis on January 24. After managing to play through it for a few games, he exited the Warriors’ home defeat to the Detroit Pistons on January 30 during the third quarter and has not returned to the court since.
There was early optimism regarding his potential return immediately after the All-Star break, but Curry’s knee did not respond favorably to on-court activities during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, leading him to inform the medical staff that he was not prepared for live action in the team’s first practice upon returning.
Rick Celebrini, the franchise’s chief medical decision-maker, has exercised caution in the weeks that followed, preventing Curry from engaging in contact work during team practices and restricting his training to the weight room and individual drills.
Curry sought clearance for a scrimmage last week, but Celebrini postponed the decision until Tuesday morning, ultimately allowing Curry to participate in a five-on-five setting with younger players and coaches.
“After discussing with Rick, it’s a scrimmage today, and then we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Kerr mentioned.
Third-year forward Gui Santos remarked that Curry appeared sharp during practice and, after addressing reporters, he intended to observe Curry’s scrimmage. Kerr noted that the atmosphere in the gym was “bouncier” and that everyone’s “spirits were lifted” by Curry’s presence on the court.
Following this back-to-back, the Warriors will have two days off before facing the Houston Rockets on Sunday night in San Francisco.
The Warriors currently hold a record of 36-39, having lost 16 of their last 25 games without Curry. They are positioned as the 10th seed in the Western Conference, situated at the lower end of the play-in bracket.
Their internal goal is to have Curry back in time to provide him with a “runway” of games leading up to the play-in week, as they will need him to secure two elimination victories to advance into the playoffs as the eighth seed.
