Steph Curry isn’t on the Golden State Warriors injury report for Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat. Only Draymond Green, who has been indefinitely suspended by the NBA, and Gary Payton II (right calf strain) are on the said list. This has been the healthiest the Dubs have been since the start of the season.
It helped that the Warriors had not played since Christmas when they lost 120-114 to the Denver Nuggets. Some of the players that have had niggling minor injuries got the chance to rest and recuperate.
Curry struggled in the loss to the defending champs. He had 18 points on 7-21 shooting, including 3-13 from behind the arc. The two-time MVP had the worst net rating (-26) in that game. It was another one of those Christmas Day games where the NBA’s greatest shooter couldn’t get his shots to fall.
Steph Curry’s off night had some wondering if he is playing through any kind of injury. The nine-time All-Star brushed off those speculations. He acknowledged Denver’s defense and also accepted that it just wasn’t his night.
Curry has played in the Warriors’ last 17 games. The last time he couldn’t join his teammates on the floor was on Nov. 16 against the OKC Thunder. The Warriors decided to hold him off due to right knee soreness. He is as healthy as he has ever been this season leading into Thursday’s game versus the Miami Heat.
Steph Curry will be hoping to bounce back from a poor shooting night against the Denver Nuggets on Christmas
The Denver Nuggets did their best to contain Steph Curry. Nuggets coach Mike Malone assigned Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to shadow the two-time scoring champ. Malone also tried to vary the way Denver covered Curry throughout the game. Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson all had their turns checking Golden State’s franchise player.
Despite the Nuggets’ efforts, there were still instances where “Chef Curry” had open looks. The point guard just couldn’t get his shots to fall.
On Thursday night, he will be hoping for the same shots to fall, particularly as the game will be held at Chase Center. Steph Curry’s familiarity with the court and the home crowd might be the boost needed to regain his shooting touch.
Beating the Miami Heat will return the Warriors to the win column and give them their sixth victory in seven games.