Steph Curry’s Updated Injury Status vs. Utah Jazz
The Golden State Warriors are set to face the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon in the season finale, and Steph Curry has been ruled out. Curry was initially listed as questionable, but the Warriors have updated their injury report and ruled the star point guard out.
Had the Warriors beaten the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, then it seems likely that Curry would have played in this season finale. Since they need the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings to lose in order to secure the 8th seed, the Warriors are prioritizing rest over doing all they can to win this final game.
With how the Utah Jazz are approaching this game, there is certainly a chance the Warriors could win without Curry. Utah has won two-straight games, but is without almost all of their top players.
As previously mentioned, the Warriors can still finish 8th with a win combined with losses from Los Angeles and Sacramento. Had the Warriors defeated the Pelicans, they would have controlled their own destiny for that spot.
Golden State had several opportunities to move up the standings in recent weeks, and while they did well to string together some wins, key losses at the wrong time created this scenario where they are likely to finish 10th. All of this has led to Curry sitting out the season finale.
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green will not play in the team’s regular-season finale against the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon.
“[Curry] could play. If he had to play, he would be playing,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “Given what we are facing, it made no sense to put him out there today. We’re hoping that we’ve got three games this week, so getting a rest today, getting time to recover before that first play-in game, that’s much more important.”
Gary Payton II will miss his third consecutive game with a left calf strain. All the other players on the roster are available, including Jonathan Kuminga, who missed Friday’s game with a right pelvic contusion.
The Warriors have a chance to move into the 8-seed, but given the way Kerr spoke pregame, it appears that they are preparing to move forward as the 9- or 10-seed.
It’s most likely we’re going to have to win two games away,” Kerr said.
With all the games for Western Conference teams happening at the same time, Kerr said he and his staff aren’t going to do much scoreboard-watching of the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, even though their results will have an impact on the Warriors’ seeding.
“We’ll be aware of the scores but in today’s NBA, the Lakers are up 15 with five minutes left, it’s not over,” Kerr said. “It would have to be a 30-point game in one direction or the other to start thinking [about changing our game plan]. Since the games are at the same time, which is by design, I don’t anticipate that will be a factor.”
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