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Jan 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Imago
Jan 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The Golden State Warriors’ tightrope walk was close to snapping on Friday night. While teams are strategically benching starters for playoff positioning, the Dubs went all-in against the Sacramento Kings, bringing back Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis after a day of rest. But things went sideways in the first half. All of 2026, Warriors fans have been watching their stars go down in tragic fashion. Tonight, too as they saw Steph limp to the bench, fans worried about the team’s postseason aspirations.
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In a chaotic defensive sequence during the second quarter, Curry twisted up during a steal attempt from Kings’ Devin Carter. A picture captured the moment in painful detail when Curry’s outstretched leg bent inwards at the ankle.
On-court microphones and cameras captured the 38-year-old in visible discomfort. He limped to the bench as the arena watched.
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According to reports from the arena, he immediately sought out Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini and head coach Steve Kerr during a timeout. “Slumped into his seat, head back,” was the description from courtside observers as Curry appeared to be assessing a right leg that has already cost him 27 games this season.
Our Bay Area News Group photographer Jose Fajardo got a pic of the Curry injury. It looks like he rolled his ankle. pic.twitter.com/GHFy7JQPBU
— Joseph Dycus (@joseph_dycus) April 11, 2026
Despite the grim look, Stephen Curry’s competitive drive won out. He remained in the game, choosing to play through the pain. He’s so far played 22 minutes and only had eight points with three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. It’s a sharp contrast to the 29-point outing against the Rockets last week. So there might some cause for concern.
Stephen Curry’s situation is the ‘new normal’ for Warriors
With the Play-In tournament looming, the decision to push through what looks like an ugly ankle injury right after rehabbing a runner’s knee has many wondering if Golden State is risking Curry’s availability when it matters most. Just before the game ended, Steph Curry went to the locker room with his bodyguard, Yusef, and didn’t return. He had played 27 minutes by then and had 11 points.
After a tug of war, it was the Kings who emerged victorious with a 124-118 victorious while the Warriors’ rotation was depleted by the end of the game. Draymond Green was not at the bench at the end of the game too. Steve Kerr pulled out the veterans in the closing minutes to prioritize their health and minutes.
It looks like Kerr will be relying on these tactics going forward a lot. It is particularly cruel given that Curry is still in a phase where he’s ramping up his return to the court after being sidelined since January 30.
Before his return against Houston on April 5, Curry was remarkably candid about the state of his right knee, describing a reality that no longer includes a “zero-pain” day. “There’s nothing structurally wrong with my knee,” Curry explained in an interview. “It is a new normal, though, if that makes sense.”
In the time that Curry has been unavailable, the Warriors fans have seen Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and yesterday, LJ Cryer, suffer horrifying injuries on the court. They’re really sensitive to these scenes right now. The injury to LJ Cryer on Thursday had already depleted the backcourt, and seeing Curry limp puts pressure on the skeleton crew.
Critics are already arguing that by staying in the game after the Devin Carter steal, Curry is risking turning a minor tweak into a season-ending catastrophe, especially given his history of setbacks during this year’s rehab process.
