Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has not played since Jan. 30 and has missed each of the team’s last 21 games due to what the team is repeatedly labeling as patella-femoral pain syndrome and a bone bruise in his right kneecap.
This injury has been causing persistent discomfort and swelling since before the All-Star break, causing Curry to be absent for an extended period of time.
Before Saturday’s 126-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors announced that Curry continued to make “good progress” in his return and has stepped up his individual workouts. The next step, as outlined in the team’s injury update, will be to integrate him into live action and team practices in the coming days.
Head coach Steve Kerr said over the weekend that he expected Steph to participate in 5-on-5 drills on Sunday.
Unfortunately for Curry and the Warriors, he did not participate in Sunday’s 5-on-5 drills, league sources tell ClutchPoints. However, team sources are adamant that it is not being viewed as a setback and that Curry is on the same recovery timeline that was provided on Saturday.
He is expected to continue his on-court activities and will be re-evaluated when the team returns to San Francisco after Monday night’s game in Dallas.
The Warriors have been out of an abundance of caution regarding Curry’s right knee issue, which is why he was given an extra day of practice before returning to 5-on-5 play.
As reported by ClutchPoints ahead of the team’s update on Steph’s status on Saturday, the Warriors were optimistic about Curry’s return at some point following their six-game road trip. Upon returning home, seven of the team’s final 10 games of the season will be played at Chase Center, allowing Curry to receive maximum treatment for his right knee and not require him to travel as much.
For several weeks, the Warriors have been hopeful that Steph will be able to return for at least one of their two home games against the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards on March 25 and March 27, respectively.
Sources said that mentality hasn’t changed, yet everything will depend on how he feels in practice Tuesday and what is said upon re-evaluation in San Francisco.
Overall, Curry and the Warriors have insisted that he not be locked up for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Steph wants to play again before the end of the regular season, and the team remains optimistic about its chances of being competitive in the play-in tournament with Curry, despite falling in the standings without him.
In their last 21 games without Steph, Golden State has gone 6-15, 1.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the 7-seed and now 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the 9-seed in the Western Conference.
A loss to the Mavericks on Monday night would put the Warriors in an even deeper hole as the 10-seed in the West.
During his recovery process, the Warriors remained adamant that Curry had not suffered a concussion and that his injury, described as “runner’s knee”, had resulted in prolonged pain and swelling that persisted longer than originally expected.
Multiple tests and imaging confirmed that there was no further structural damage to his right knee.
As for the team’s other injury concerns, running back Moses Moody, who hasn’t played since March 2 because of a right wrist sprain, is considered questionable to play Monday night at Dallas. Veteran big man Al Horford is out with a right calf strain, but the Warriors remain optimistic he will return before the end of the regular season.
The Warriors are currently 33-38 and have lost eight of their last nine games as of Monday night.
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