Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry underwent an MRI on his right ankle, the team announced Tuesday.
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Curry did not decide to sit until he cut short his pregame routine Monday night.
Andre Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Draymond Green had 12 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. By halftime, Harden had already attempted 13 free throws.
I mean, if the Warriors can win a playoff game without the best player on earth, how are they going to get beaten at any point?
Golden State did it on New Year’s Eve on Houston’s home court and did it again Monday at rockin’ Oracle Arena.
Shaun Livingston, who left Sunday’s practice with an illness, moved into the starting lineup in Curry’s place, and had 16 points and six assists.
Curry injured the ankle in the third quarter of Game 1 when he took an awkward step and landed wrong.
At the same time – and while this probably won’t be found out playing the Rockets, who have struggled to gain any consistency on either end of the court – it is a worry whether the Warriors have enough offence without Curry. Curry re-taped the joint and tried to play in the second half that day, but Kerr shut him down in less than three minutes.
The outing comes after he was held without a free-throw attempt in Saturday’s Game 1 loss to the Warriors – a first for him since January 2, 2015. Then on three occasions in the first half, Harden drew a foul beyond the 3-point line and sent the fans into fits.
But it was Thompson’s three free throws after interim Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s technical with 7:16 left that helped seal this one.
Livingston was at his best in crunch time. According to an update on Twitter by Warriors beat writer Diamond Leung, Curry did not participate in shootaround which still makes him questionable to play in Game 2.
At one point, Curry lined up to shoot a long jumper from the right wing but didn’t release the ball and hopped in apparent discomfort before throwing the ball in the air.
OKLAHOMA CITY – A putback at the buzzer by Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams that would have won the game was disallowed upon review, and Dallas defeated the Thunder to even their Western Conference playoff series at one win apiece. If any Rockets player needs to get going it’s him.
The Rockets are instead down 0-2 and the Warriors have all the momentum and the next Curry decision.
Resting Curry could simply be precautionary, and the National Basketball Association world will be holding its breath, hoping Curry is healthy for Game 3.
That game came in the midst of, well, let’s call it James Harden’s Defensive Blue Period. Livingston notched his 11th career postseason start and first with the Warriors….
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Paul George led the Pacers with 28 points as IN reduced an 18-point deficit to just four points IN the third quarter before Toronto pulled away.
