Stephen Curry Expected To Miss At Least A Month With Oblique Tear

Stephen Curry is expected to miss at least a month after suffering an oblique abdominal tear.

Curry suffered the injury against the Houston Rockets, exiting the game with 6:25 remaining in the first quarter and later undergoing an MRI.

He showed signs of discomfort a few minutes into the game, grabbing his right side; Curry tried to play through the pain but kept an eye on the training staff as the game progressed. With 7:22 left in the first quarter, Draymond Green set a screen for Curry, who came off and drilled a three-pointer, but he yelled in pain after the release and signaled towards the bench.

Coach Steve Kerr said Curry told him the pain was an injury he hadn’t felt before.

“Concern is high,” Kerr said.

At halftime, before leaving the arena for an MRI, Curry spoke to his teammates, told them to focus on the task at hand, and assured them he would get through this latest injury just fine.

With Curry out, it adds to an already depleted Warriors team. Starters Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are rehabbing from long-term knee injuries. Projected starting center Kristaps Porzingis stepped away from the team and sport entirely. Backup guard Brandon Williams strained a hamstring and will miss at least a week.

The Warriors were 13-26 in the 39 games that Curry missed last season. This season, they are 1-2 without Curry, who is averaging 27.8 points, shooting a career-high 45.7% from three, 3.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

“The spirit of the team is better,” Green said. “We’re more certain of who we are, what makes us a good team. I think that puts us in a better position to be successful without him than we were last year. Then obviously Yaxel Lendeborg, having a guy you can give the ball to, and he can create an advantage. Brandin Podziemski is playing a lot better… It puts us in a better position.”