SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry acknowledged it’ll be a “little longer” before an attempted return from his persistent right knee issue, telling ESPN’s Malika Andrews during an in-game Saturday night interview that he hadn’t yet advanced to court work.
“This is a weird one,” Curry said. “It’s kind of unpredictable how it’ll heal.”
The Warriors were blown out 129-101 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Curry’s absence marked a 10th consecutive missed game for what the team has listed as patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as “runner’s knee,” which typically consists of swelling and pain around the kneecap.
The team was initially optimistic that Curry could return right after the All-Star break, but he had a setback in a workout that weekend and told the training staff he wasn’t ready for live work upon return to the facility.
The Warriors shut him down from court work for 10 days. He was spotted in the locker room pregame on Saturday doing weight-bearing squats on his right knee. The team will officially announce a status update on Sunday. It is expected he will miss at least a handful more games.
“It’s going to be a little longer,” Curry said. “Right now, with this one, it’s about each day, can you stack good days? I’ve done that. Hopefully they can unleash me on the court soon and hopefully get back sooner than later.”
The Warriors are 31-29 after Saturday’s loss, planted in the eighth seed and appear destined for the Play-In tournament. Curry has repeatedly stated a desire behind the scenes to find his way back onto the court and push the Warriors into a playoff series, but hurdles remain before he can get clearance.
“Trying to stay in shape, strengthen everything else around the body, knowing at this stage, once you get back, it’s a full sprint to the playoffs,” Curry said. “Once I get back on the court, it’s a little bit of a pain tolerance thing. But it’s just something you don’t want lingering because it can get worse.”
Curry’s co-star, Jimmy Butler, tore his ACL in January and is out for the season. The Warriors’ trade deadline acquisition, Kristaps Porzingis, has missed four consecutive games with an illness and only played 17 minutes since the transaction.
