Stephen Curry exited the Golden State Warriors’ 115-108 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday after suffering a right abdominal injury in the first quarter.
The two-time MVP, who entered the night averaging 30.6 points per game, checked himself out of the contest with 7:22 remaining in the opening period. He had just converted a three-pointer—his only basket of the game—when he began wincing and holding his right side while backpedaling, according to Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
Curry walked directly to the locker room with head coach Steve Kerr following the incident. Kerr confirmed after the game that the star guard left the arena during the second half to undergo an MRI, though the team had not yet received the results, nba.com noted.
“He said he tweaked something in his abdominal area and said he’s never done it before,” Kerr said.
When asked about his level of concern regarding the 38-year-old’s status, Kerr added, “I mean, concern is high, but I have no idea the extent of the injury,” as reported by ABC30 Fresno.
The loss to Houston snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Warriors, who struggled to maintain their offensive rhythm without their primary scorer. Golden State scored 108 points, below their season average of 120.4 per game, ABC30 Fresno reported.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg stepped into a larger role, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandin Podziemski contributed 22 points, according to Yahoo Sports. Despite a fourth-quarter push that cut the deficit to three points, the Rockets’ depth proved too much for the visitors to overcome.
The game’s intensity boiled over with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter during a physical confrontation. Rockets guard Marcus Smart was ejected after throwing a punch that appeared to strike Charles Bassey in the nose, ABC30 Fresno stated.
Curry missed 39 games during the previous season, including 27 contests related to a runner’s knee injury, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Following the loss in Houston, the Warriors are scheduled to continue their five-game road trip with a visit to San Antonio on Friday, ABC30 Fresno reported.
No timeline has been established. As of Wednesday night, the team was still awaiting the results of the MRI to determine the severity of the abdominal soreness, nba.com stated.
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