On Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors dropped Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals, 116-110, but an even larger storyline came out of it: star player Stephen Curry sustained a left foot injury. Al Horford, a big player for the Boston Celtics, appeared to land on Curry’s lower leg amid a scrum for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter, leaving Curry in immense pain. Curry told the media on Thursday that despite the original injury appearing to be somewhat problematic, he will play in Game 4 on Friday.
Curry replied, “I’m going to play, that’s all I know right now.” Earlier in the day, The Athletic reported that there was optimism within the Warriors camp that Curry avoided a major injury and would not require an MRI. When the injury occurred, Curry continued playing for several minutes more, though he appeared to be laboring around the court after the incident. After the game, the two-time league MVP said it felt like a mild foot sprain.
Curry remarked following the third game, “I’ll be OK. “Al [Horford] caught me underneath. I’ll be fine, but there will undoubtedly be some discomfort. Assess your feelings tomorrow, then get ready for Friday. It wasn’t as horrible as what I did versus Boston during the regular season.” The Warriors may breathe a great sigh of relief thanks to Curry’s confidence following Game 3 and his reiteration of his promise to play in Game 4. It’s tough to stress how crucial he is to Golden State’s overall offensive strategy, so keeping him as healthy as possible is of the utmost importance.
Curry’s pain tolerance will be put to the test by the short turnaround between Games 3 and 4, which have only 48 hours between them. In Game 3, Boston did a fantastic job of pursuing him defensively, which led to him picking up fouls early on. The Celtics will certainly repeat that, and if Curry has any soreness in his left foot, it may be difficult for Golden State to win.