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Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is currently sidelined due to a knee injury.
The Golden State Warriors survived another game without Steph Curry. They outlasted the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, led by Brandin Podziemski‘s amazing performance off the bench.
Curry has not played in February and will likely not get cleared until early March due to a runner’s knee injury, as per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The Warriors also played without Kristaps Porzingis, who was a late scratch due to an illness, as well as Draymond Green.
Podziemski finished the game with 18 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, while Moses Moody had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Al Horford had his best game of the season, putting up 22 points, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
Horford was also tasked with slowing down Nikola Jokic, who dropped an insane triple-double of 35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Luckily for the Warriors, some of the Nuggets’ role players failed to step up in Golden State’s 128-117 win.
Podziemski Reveals Curry’s Impact on Warriors
Despite being sidelined, Steph Curry remains an impactful player for the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski told reporters after the game how Curry was engaged on the bench and helping the team remain confident in the fourth quarter.
“He just told me to be decisive in whatever I choose to do,” Podziemski said. “He’s like, ‘Shoot whatever shots you want to shoot, but just be decisive while doing it.’ I think that helped. Usually, a lot of times when teams switch, we get a little stagnant and undecisive, and so it was just attacking switches if they were going to do it.”
The Warriors outscored the Nuggets 33-16 in the fourth quarter to earn the win. They overcame a third-quarter onslaught by the visitors, using defense and aggressiveness to tire out a Denver team ravaged by injuries.
With their win, the Warriors improved to 30-27 for the season. They are firmly sitting in the eighth spot in the West standings, ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers. They are 4.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in the top six.
Curry Shares Update on His Knee Injury
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Steph Curry opened up about his knee injury. Curry is dealing with pain and swelling in his right knee. There is no structural damage based on a second MRI, but he’s set to be re-evaluated early next week.
“Feeling good,” Curry said. “I mean, it’s not going the way that I wanted it to, but I think we’re in the right direction of getting back out there as fast as possible.”
As for suggestions about the Warriors sitting him out for the rest of the season, the four-time NBA champion was not having any of it. He wants to play as soon as he’s cleared to return.
“The goal is to be healthy come playoff time and be available when it matters most,” Curry said.
While things seemed hopeless after Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending injury, players like Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, De’Anthony Melton, Will Richard and Moses Moody are stepping up their games.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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