Stephen Curry’s ankle strain is improving, and he could play against the Lakers on Saturday

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry avoided a serious ankle injury after an awkward landing during the team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls last Thursday. Curry, who has a sprained ankle, has not played in either of the Warriors’ two games since, however, and is expected to remain sidelined vs. the Mavericks on Wednesday.

The Warriors said Tuesday that Curry is making “good progress” and has been cleared to resume on-court workouts. He’s set to practice with the team in Los Angeles on Friday ahead of the Warriors’ Saturday night showdown against the Lakers.

Curry appeared to roll his right ankle on a move to the basket late in the fourth quarter last week. He limped around the court afterward in an attempt to walk it off, but eventually exited the game and went straight to the locker room with just under four minutes left in the game.

The Warriors had been one of the hottest teams in basketball before Curry’s injury, going 14-4 in 18 games from Jan. 30-March 1. During that stretch, they’ve had the fourth-best net rating in the NBA and the fifth-best defense, with Curry averaging 26 points, five assists and five rebounds on 45/41/89 shooting splits. Counting the loss against the Bulls, the Warriors have gone 1-2 since his injury.

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Given Curry’s history, an ankle injury always elicits worrisome deep breaths from anyone associated with the organization. Kerr recently said he felt Curry was fatigued after a rough shooting stretch, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see Curry held out as a precaution, even if the injury turns out to not be severe.

“We’ve been in this position before where he has had time off, and we’ve just got to do it collectively,” Klay Thompson said of Curry after Thursday’s loss. “I know he’ll be ready to go when he does come back, whenever that is. We just want to wish him a speedy recovery, and to take his time.”