Except for one loss, not having Stephen Curry isn’t hurting the Golden State Warriors.
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Curry went through his regular pregame routine after missing the past two games, including the team’s second defeat all season Wednesday at Dallas. “It’s not as bad as the first time it happened, so that’s good news”. “See how it feels for Monday”.
“You don’t want to see that with anybody, with any player in this league”, Denver forward Danilo Gallinari said. When that day will be, I have no idea and I don’t think he knows. “Today he told me this morning that he wont be coaching tonight, and I just said ‘alright'”.
Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston filled in the void left by Curry amply as well with 20 and 13 points, respectively, as the Warriors played with just 9 healthy players.
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson led the Warriors to a dramatic, 111-108 victory over Denver on Saturday night. He also had four steals.
Curry would not return to the game after exiting with a little over three minutes in the second period. Will Barton, a primary factor in the Denver rally with 21 points, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Warriors had survived again to run their incredible record to 31-2.
About 10 minutes after the game ended, Denver forward Kenneth Faried was in a neck brace and strapped to a stretcher as he was wheeled off the court.
With just a few seconds left in overtime, Faried was elbowed in the neck while going for a rebound.
“That was a championship effort”. Nearing the 3-minute mark, Denver was within two points, adding to the conundrum.
Faried posted a picture that shows he’s sitting upright and in good spirits.
I spoke to one medical expert who specializes in neck and spinal injuries who said if Faried fractured a vertebrate, he’s out for the remainder of the season.
Early on, however, his very presence seemed to energize the Warriors. Barnes suffered the injury November 27 at Phoenix. Though winning without the four key injured Warriors could provide proof that interim head coach Luke Walton is better than just lucky. He reserved special praise for Green.
“He’s doing more and more”, Walton said. “The thing that makes us happiest as a staff is that they did it together”.
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Green’s stat-line of 29-17-14 has not been reached by any National Basketball Association player since Larry Bird hit those numbers in April 1987 vs. the Bullets.
