It looks like the Warriors didn’t need Steph Curry for this one. Despite Zion Williamson’s strong performance tonight, the Dubs overtook the Pelicans to record a 124-106 win. Sidelined from an ankle injury, the Chef watched the entire game from the bench. At the end of the game, he was visibly hyped by the early season victory and the Warriors look good to go.

Curry injured his left ankle twice during Sunday’s game. An MRI confirmed a peroneal strain but indicated “no structural damage.”Ahead of tonight’s game, the Warriors ruled him out because of the same injury. Knowing the team’s identity revolves around Curry’s 3-point shooting left Dub Nation anxious. But the fears were for nothing.

Golden State was 77-55 by the second half. Buddy Hield’s 28 points and Lindy Waters’ 21 kept the Warriors’ momentum going with 17 points each by Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Following the game, cameras captured Curry by himself on the sideline, cheering and clapping. Most people didn’t seem to notice on their way to celebrate with the rest of the team.

What caught fans’ attention in this clip was Curry’s lack of limping. It gives them hope that he’ll recover from the strain soon and make a comeback. The team predicts he might miss the next game too, but after tonight, it appears the Warriors have found a way to fill the void.

Warriors up defense in Steph Curry’s absence

The Warriors’ victory was largely due to the Pelicans’ 23 turnovers. New Orleans out-rebounded their opponents 44-34 but lost too many scoring opportunities. Zion Williamson was the undisputed star of the game, irrespective of the outcome after finishing with 31 points.

Initially, it looked like Steph Curry’s absence was an alarming sign when the Warriors were down by 20. At the start, they were  5-for-23 from the field and 2-for-13 from behind the arc. The second and third quarters were turning points off the backs of Hield and Brandin Podziemski (19 points).

After the game, coach Steve Kerr touted his “deep team” that can operate in the absence of key players. “This is the point. To be able to withstand injuries and absences. Obviously, tonight is pretty extreme. To have two starters out and a guy who comes off the bench quickly (out), that’s pretty rare. We feel like we’re built for it, but we’ve got to go prove that.”

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But as much as the team survived Curry’s absence, they’re not holding their breaths for a repeat. Fingers crossed, the star scorer will be back soon.