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Golden State Warriors fans were on the edge of their seats Friday night — and not just because of preseason basketball. The heart-stopping moment came when their golden boy, Stephen Curry, had to bow out of the game against the Sacramento Kings after injuring his shooting hand. Yes, the shooting hand. Cue the collective gasp from the Warriors faithful.
The situation unfolded in the second quarter when Curry suddenly exited the court, escorted by none other than the Warriors’ director of sports medicine, Rick Celebrini. Now, when you see Curry limping off with a guy whose job title sounds like he holds the keys to life itself, you know things just got real. Fans immediately braced themselves for the worst — no more “Curry Flurries” this season? Say it ain’t so!
To make matters worse, when the second half kicked off and Curry was nowhere to be seen on the bench, the anxiety levels in Chase Center probably spiked higher than ticket prices during playoffs. Fans were already imagining the worst: “Is he out for the season? Is his hand cursed? Can we get a priest in here, stat?”
However, the basketball gods smiled down upon Dub Nation when it was revealed after X-rays that Curry’s injury was nothing more than a jammed right finger. No breaks, no torn ligaments, just your average “ouch, that hurts.” Warriors fans collectively exhaled, thanking whichever deity keeps Curry in one piece.
Kerr Speaks, Fans Breathe Again
Post-game, head coach Steve Kerr reassured fans in the most calm, “everything’s fine” manner that the Warriors had only taken Curry out of the game as a precaution. You know, because it’s the preseason, and no one’s trying to break records when the games don’t even count yet. “I was assured at halftime that it was fine,” Kerr said, sounding more like a doctor than a coach. “X-rays were negative, nothing too concerning. But yeah, you always get nervous when he’s hurt.”
Translation: Kerr had the same heart attack as the rest of us but had to pretend he’s not sweating bullets. Curry is now listed as “day-to-day,” which in NBA-speak means, “we’ll see if we feel like playing him next game.” He could be back as soon as Sunday when the Warriors take on the Detroit Pistons in another thrilling (or not) preseason game.
The Warriors’ Secret Weapon: Moses Moody to the Rescue
Even without Curry’s brilliance for much of the night, the Warriors didn’t completely fall apart. Thanks to Moses Moody, who apparently woke up and chose buckets, they snuck away with a 109-106 victory over the Kings. Moody led the charge with a beastly 23-point performance, hitting 7 of 13 shots like he was Curry Jr. out there. It’s the kind of night that makes Warriors fans say, “Steph, who?”
Before leaving the game, Curry did manage to squeeze in a solid stat line in his 16 minutes of action: six points, three rebounds, four assists, one block, and of course, a signature three-pointer. A little taste of the magic before he dipped out with that dramatic hand injury.
So, Warriors fans, breathe easy. Steph will live to shoot another day. Just maybe keep an eye on those fingers, okay? We don’t need any more preseason heart attacks.