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Shams: Steph's Injury Return Not Until Game 6 ‘at The Earliest'
Shams: Steph's injury return not until Game 6 ‘at the earliest' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry’s presence was missed in the Warriors’ Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals Thursday night at Target Center.
He will miss Games 3 and 4 at Chase Center before his Grade 1 left hamstring strain is reevaluated just before Game 5 on Wednesday returns to Minnesota. While Curry spoke to reporters before Game 2 and indicated he didn’t have a target return date, ESPN’s Shams Charania shared some more intel on the sharpshooter’s potential return timeline.
“It’s a hamstring strain. You know and everyone in there knows, a hamstring strain is not an injury you play with,” Charania said Friday morning on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “He’s really been limited to just doing treatment. … My understanding is it’s probably not going to be at any point until Game 6 at the earliest for Steph Curry.”
That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for the Warriors, assuming they can win at least one game at home in either Game 3 or Game 4. Obviously, you want to win as many games as you can, but if a rested and healthy Curry returns to Game 6 in San Francisco, you at least give yourself a chance to force a Game 7.
Curry sustained the injury early in the second quarter of Game 1 and immediately was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. The injury is the first muscle strain of Curry’s 16-season NBA career, but hamstring injuries specifically require extra need for caution.
“It’s going to be a very safe approach the Warriors are going to take with this,” Charania added.
"Steph Curry has really been limited to just doing treatment and he's gonna be reevaluated on Wednesday..
My understanding is that he could be back for game six at the earliest" ~ @ShamsCharania#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/ppvbo0zAgn
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 9, 2025
There is a four-day gap between Games 5 and 6 due to the WNBA Golden State Valkyries opening their season at Chase Center on Friday, May 16. Game 5 is scheduled for May 14. Game 6, if needed, is scheduled for May 18.
Of course, this could all change depending on how the series shakes out. The Warriors stepped up massively when Curry left with the injury in Game 1. They folded in a Game 2 blowout loss. The series now heads to the Bay tied 1-1.
All eyes will be on Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green to put the team on their backs in Curry’s absence. Because if and when he returns, the basketball world knows it’s a whole different ball game.
