LOS ANGELES , United States (AFP) — The Golden State Warriors again did just fine without injured superstar Stephen Curry on Sunday, but their 118-106 NBA playoff win over Portland didn’t dim his desire to be back on the floor with his teammates.
“I want to get back as soon as possible, regardless of if we’re 1-0, 2-0, down or whatever. That’s all I’m focused on,” Curry told ABC television in a courtside interview with his team well on the way to taking a 1-0 lead over the Trail Blazers in their Western Conference second-round series.
Curry sprained a ligament in his right knee in game four of the Warriors’ first-round series against Houston on April 24.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday that chances were “pretty slim” that Curry could play in game two on Tuesday.
But game three in the best-of-seven series isn’t until Saturday in Portland, giving Curry a chance to progress further with his rehab.
“It just depends how his week goes,” Kerr said. “We’ll just monitor him and see how it goes and hopefully get him back at some point.
“Before he’s going to play a game, he has to be on the floor in a five-on-five situation, which means it’s pretty slim that he would be out there in game two,” Kerr said.
Curry was expected to miss at least a fortnight, but has already begun stationary shooting drills.
He told ABC during Sunday’s game that he still felt pain in the knee, but had full range of motion.
“For the most part, I can still get on my feet and try to do basketball activities that will get me back,” he said.
Kerr said talk of a timeline for Curry’s return was “all speculation”.
“We don’t really know, but that’s the hope, is that by the middle of next week we’ll get him back in more basketball-type movements.”
In the meantime, Curry said, he’s confident his teammates can keep the Warriors’ bid for a second straight title — to cap a record-setting 73-win season — going.
“I only played 38 minutes in the first round and we finished it in five (games),” he said.
“Obviously I’d like to be out there with them and I feel like we’re a better team when I’m out there, but the way that they play and the way they have that confidence and swagger about them, it’s fun to watch.”
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