Eighth loss in nine games, and the Golden State Warriors’ 33-38 record became the lowest they’ve been below .500 all season. This was the 21st game without their leader, Stephen Curry, as the franchise hangs by a thread for its postseason appearance. Even head coach Steve Kerr did not mince words, saying, “Life gets really difficult.”

It’s not just an injury to Curry. Jimmy Butler was already out due to an ACL injury, and even key players like Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford sustained injuries, sidelining them during this period. So, clearly, it has affected the Warriors, as they have collapsed after the All-Star break. That’s why the head coach was very blunt with his assessment.

“This is the hardest thing to go through, losing and being decimated by injury. You’re pushing, you’re trying, you’re playing hard, you’re competing, but things aren’t going your way,” said Kerr to the media after the blowout 126-110 loss by the Atlanta Hawks. “It’s tough, tough time for everybody. It’s human nature to get down, hang your head, and I’m just trying to encourage the guys to keep competing.”

This was their 15th loss in the period when Stephen Curry hasn’t returned. After holding a firm grasp on the eighth seed in the West, they now find themselves in 10th, a game and a half behind the Clippers and the Trail Blazers.

The last 10-game stretch has been brutal. The Warriors only have two wins. That, too, was one of their wins against the struggling Washington Wizards. The other one, though, was an impressive overtime win over a full-strength Houston Rockets.

Jimmy Butler’s season-ending torn right ACL, suffered on January 19, 2026, during a 135-112 win over the Miami Heat, has proven to be a major factor in the Warriors’ post-All-Star break collapse.

In 38 games (all starts) before the injury, Butler averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 86.4% from the free-throw line in 31.1 minutes per game.

His two-way presence provided secondary scoring, perimeter creation, clutch execution, and defensive versatility that complemented Stephen Curry effectively, helping stabilize the offense and defense during stretches when the team hovered around or above .500.

The numbers highlight the drop-off without him: The Warriors are 10-23 (.303 winning percentage) in games without Butler this season, a stark contrast to their stronger performance with him on the floor earlier in the campaign (23-15).

This poor stretch overlaps heavily with Curry’s absence starting January 30, contributing to the 15 losses when combining both stars’ missed time.

Without Butler’s rim pressure, playmaking, and ability to handle non-Curry minutes (where the team previously showed positive net ratings in some analytics), Golden State has leaned more on its young core and depth players, resulting in inconsistent offense, defensive lapses, and difficulty closing games, evident in the brutal 2-8 or similar recent stretches and the slide from 8th to 10th in the West.

Yet Kerr remained positive about the team’s efforts and acknowledged that they are playing hard. It was also evident that the Dub Nation, despite being short-handed, had a 21-point lead against the New York Knicks.

Even against the Pistons, the young Warriors’ core built a 5-point lead. Some things are clearly working, as the head coach was optimistic about his star’s return.

Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry’s comeback

With Curry sidelined since January 30 as he suffered from a patella-femoral pain syndrome and bone bruising in his right knee, the Warriors have struggled to find rhythm without their veteran guard. But the head coach remained hopeful. “Because reinforcements will come, and we have to be ready for that,” said Kerr.

Even reports from Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area confirmed the same. Reports indicated that Curry is close to rejoining team practices in the coming days and is expected to be re-evaluated next week when the team returns home from its current road trip.

If he returns against the Nets on Wednesday, right after his re-evaluation, then the veteran guard will have ten games to get back in shape heading into the play-in tournament. Previously, Steve Kerr was also positive regarding the re-evaluation. “I guess we’ll have an update… Because I know that’s the next question. Next update Saturday. But yeah, it’s great to have him on the trip,” said Kerr.

ESPN had already reported that the swelling in Stephen Curry’s knee has lowered significantly. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection to help accelerate his healing.