Stephen Curry injury update: Warriors star takes promising step toward playoff return vs. Timberwolves

The Golden State Warriors are just trying to stay alive long enough to get Stephen Curry back. After falling short in Game 2 despite what felt like a best-shot type of effort, getting 63 points from Jimmy Butler and the suddenly revitalized Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State is now down 2-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves going into Game 4 on Monday night. 

It feels like must-win time. If the Warriors lose on Monday, they’ll go back to Minnesota down 3-1 and probably face an elimination game without Curry. But if they can get a win on Monday and tie the series 2-2, they will, no matter what happens in Minnesota, guarantee themselves a Game 6, which has probably been Curry’s unofficial target return all along. 

He still has to pass a bunch of tests on his strained left hamstring to even make that a possibility (it’s all about how his body responds to what is a first-time injury for him) but the good news is his initial progress is promising.  Curry made it through “a pretty strenuous workout” prior to Saturday’s game, according to Anthony Slater of the Athletic, in a “notable advancement” in what Golden State hopes will be an “expedited” return. 

From the Athletic: 

Curry didn’t push it to full speed, according to a team source. He’s yet to burst or cut or test that left hamstring in a manner that’ll deliver him and Rick Celebrini — the team’s lead medical decision maker — the true information they’ll need on whether the hamstring is healed enough to return deeper in this series. But he went through a medium-speed shooting routine and rode the stationary bike. This was a notable advancement for Curry in his race against time.

If you’re getting your hopes up about that “expedited return” wording, it’s important to understand that Curry passing the full-speed test is a far cry from half-speed shooting drills, so don’t even think about Game 4 and probably not Game 5. But if this initial progress is a sign that he is responding well, and if that continues, then yes, Game 6, which was never a certainty, feels realistic. 

Grade 1 hamstring strains, which is what Curry has, typically call for a 7-10 day recovery period. Curry got hurt on May 6. Game 5 is May 14. Technically that would be seven days, and if Golden State is indeed down 3-1 it’s going to be interesting if Curry pushes it to come back on the absolute front end of the timeline. 

But the key here is the three days off between Games 5 and 6, which isn’t scheduled until May 18. If the Warriors can make it there, that would be 12 days off for Curry, who by then would seemingly be in position to not just return, but return at close, or much closer, to 100%. The schedule even gives him time to ramp his conditioning back up after two weeks off. 

It all comes down to Game 4 on Monday. If the Warriors can get that one they guarantee a Game 6, which Curry sounds on track to make it back for.