© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — It was a win, but not the type the Warriors would like to become accustomed to: without Stephen Curry.
Early in the first quarter of Golden State’s 110-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, Curry went up for a contested layup. He landed seemingly untouched, but rolled his right ankle before crumbling to the ground. He walked gingerly off the court and eventually exited the court, where he wouldn’t return for the rest of the game.
Curry isn’t expected to travel with the team on the ensuing two-game road trip. Regardless of the long-term severity, it’s unsettling that Curry’s right ankle — which has sidelined him periodically throughout the season— continues to hamper him. Thursday night was the fourth known time Curry has injured the ankle in more than two months, and the second in six days — when he rolled the ankle on teammate Zaza Pachulia’s foot.
Curry’s absence was felt the moment he left the game.
The spacing wasn’t as vast. The flow wasn’t as steady. The Warriors had to rely on their second unit early (all five active non-starters scored in the first quarter), including point guard Quinn Cook, who struggled to make shots all game long. Curry’s value to Golden State can’t be overstated enough— he led the league in plus-minus by a whopping 195 points last season.
“Everything we do on the offensive end is centered around Steph and Klay (Thompson),” Kevin Durant said. “Without Steph, we are missing a lot on the offensive side of the ball.”
Curry’s absence, and matching up against the league’s stingiest defense, equated to a challenging Thursday night for the Warriors.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Spurs rode power forward LaMarcus Aldridge’s hot hand as they extended their lead to eight points. Then Durant took over. The four-time scoring champion poured in 12 straight points before a Draymond Green layup put the Warriors ahead, 107-105.
“I told myself (to) empty the clip,” said Durant, who finished with a game-high 37 points. “I just tried to press ‘Go,’ try to get a good shot every time.”
Late in the game, Golden State clamped down on the defensive end, forcing San Antonio to take contested shots. Spurs guard Bryn Forbes had an open three-point look to send the game to overtime, but the ball caromed off the rim, and the Warriors escaped.
It wasn’t the prettiest victory, likely the result of no No. 30. The Warriors shot only 26.7 percent from the three-point line. But they were able to extend their win streak to seven, pulling within half of a game of Houston for the NBA’s best record, while handing the Spurs their seventh loss in the past nine games.
Golden State faces a quick turnaround as it leaves for a two-game road trip without Curry’s services. The Warriors will visit Portland on Friday night before matching up with the Timberwolves on Sunday.
“Just by the reaction that (Curry) had tonight, it’s kind of a worry,” Green said. “It’s great to hear he is OK and will be fine sometime soon. It’s just always a hold-your-breath type of moment when that happens.”
