The mood in Chase Center shifted quickly tonight. During the matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets, Stephen Curry was visibly limping. He exited the game in the fourth quarter, being helped into the locker room by the Warriors’ director of sports medicine, Rick Celebrini, after a short conversation with head coach Steve Kerr.

The moment hit quickly and without warning. Curry, guarding Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, was screened off by Alperen Sengun and left holding his left leg, limping. What made this worse was a previous moment in the game, when Curry was called for a blocking foul after a collision with Amen Thompson. His movement was tighter, his stride shortened, and his frustration was apparent on his face.

Soon, he headed to the locker room during a timeout, with 35 seconds left. After the game, it was determined that Curry had a quad contusion, though an exact timeline was not shared. The Warriors added that Curry would be getting an MRI.

The timing of the injury is regrettable for Golden State, who are already missing Al Horford, Jonathan Kuminga, and De’Anthony Melton, and also had Gary Payton II exiting earlier in the game. Now, with Curry out, the team’s already middling record is in jeopardy, and the weight will fall on Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green to keep the team afloat.

Kerr didn’t sugarcoat the magnitude of Curry’s loss, explaining, “Well, it obviously changes everything. Our rotations, how we’re playing, who we’re playing through.” For a team already going through the motions early in the season, the loss of one of the most composed leaders in the league is gut-punch.

Still, the Warriors coach admitted that there was a strange sense of relief once the shock of the injury passed. He continued, “When I heard it was quad, I was actually kind of relieved. You know, better than an ankle or a knee. So hopefully he can recover quickly.” Right now, Kerr is in survival mode: “We got to hold down the fort.”

Kerr also admitted that he relies on his medical team for updates, stating, “I always just rely on the training staff to tell me whatever I need to know… but I did see him limping.”

Fans Erupt, Blaming Steve Kerr for Risking Stephen Curry vs Rockets

Social media exploded as Stephen Curry was seen limping off the floor, and the frustration was aimed right at the Warriors’ sideline, angry that the two-time MVP was still on the court despite being visibly hampered. One fan kept his criticism of Steve Kerr blunt: “Chef getting the Tom Thibodeau coaching from Kerr – run the team literally into the ground by going smaller than small.”

Tom Thibodeau, head coach of multiple NBA teams, is known for playing his starters heavy minutes, with three of his players on the Knicks in the top five in the league in minutes played last year: Josh Hart at one, Mikal Bridges at three, OG Anunoby at five. Curry, for reference, played 33 minutes today.

The Rockets didn’t escape the heat either. Many Warriors fans argued that the players were overly physical with Curry, especially since hard-nosed defense is the team’s identity. One viewer wrote, “Rockets try to injure this man every time they play the Warriors lmao,” referencing last year’s physical playoff series between the two teams, when Houston was accused of targeting Curry’s already-injured thumb.

Officiating became another flashpoint, with some fans attributing loose whistles to Curry’s injury. “Refs allowed him to get hurt btw. Call fouls more often and he doesn’t get trampled over and assaulted,” a furious comment read, amplifying concerns that the Golden State superstar isn’t being protected.

Kerr’s rotations also caught some flak, with one post asking, “PLEASE WARRIORS MEDIA. Tell Kerr you can’t play 4 guards together! When will he learn? Why is Hield playing PF at times? Why is Dray starting at Center? Why not play Post at C and Dray at PF? Why is he going small against teams with giants. This guy is destroying this team.” The Rockets are a massive team, starting three players 6’7″ or taller against, at times, lineups with all players under 6’6″.

Finally, one comment summed up the sentiment: The injury was preventable. “Kerr should have pulled him out way earlier,” one fan wrote, explaining that this wasn’t just bad luck, but mismanagement from the coach.