SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry will miss the NBA showdown against Cleveland on December 25 because of a nagging right ankle sprain, the defending champion Golden State Warriors said Tuesday.
Curry has helped spark the Warriors to titles over Cleveland in two of the past three NBA Finals and lost a third to the Cavaliers last year in seven games.
Averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game, Curry suffered the injury December 4 at New Orleans and was re-evaluated Tuesday by Golden State’s medical staff and found to be healing well and making good overall progress, according to a team statement.
But while the Warriors advanced Curry to modified on-court workouts in the coming days, the team also said the 29-year-old guard would be reevaluated next Tuesday with more certainty expected then on a timetable for his NBA game return.
Golden State (24-6) has won nine games in a row, five of them without Curry. Only the Houston Rockets (25-4) have a better record among NBA clubs.
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