A rivalry that started to intensify last season will temporarily pause as Stephen Curry will miss Tuesday’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco due to an ankle injury.
Curry and Pelicans star Zion Williamson have faced each other only five times out of a possible 17 since New Orleans selected Williamson as the first pick in the 2019 draft. Last season, they met three times, with the Pelicans winning twice at Golden State after Curry scored 42 points in a Warriors victory in New Orleans in October. Williamson contributed 19 and 26 points in those road victories.
The rivalry seemed poised for another matchup before Curry sustained a peroneal strain in his left ankle during the third quarter of Sunday’s 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Although he returned briefly in the fourth quarter, he had to exit the game shortly after.
An MRI showed no serious issues, and the Warriors announced that Curry will be re-evaluated on Friday. “He’s doing OK,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said post-game, noting that Curry described the injury as mild or moderate. Having sprained his ankle multiple times before, Curry doesn’t believe it’s severe.
Curry will sit out both games against the Pelicans this week, as will teammate De’Anthony Melton, who strained his lower back in the same game. Melton also underwent an MRI and will be re-evaluated on Friday.
Brandin Podziemski, a member of last season’s NBA All-Rookie First Team, is expected to step into the starting lineup in Curry’s absence. Without their star shooter for most of the final 15 minutes, the Warriors suffered their first loss of the season after two convincing road wins.
The Pelicans have followed a similar pattern, starting their season with two wins, including a victory at Portland, before losing 125-103 in another two-game series against the same opponent on Sunday.
New Orleans has been without new guard Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand in the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, and forward Trey Murphy III, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury from preseason.
CJ McCollum (23.3 points per game) and Brandon Ingram (22.7) have been key contributors for the Pelicans during this stretch, while Williamson has added 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in two games after missing the opener due to illness.
Second-year guard Jordan Hawkins has also stepped up, averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.3 minutes over three games. After a modest rookie season, Hawkins shone during the preseason, leading McCollum to predict greater things for him. “He had one of the best training camps I’ve seen in my 12 years in the NBA,” McCollum remarked, praising Hawkins’s improvement in decision-making, shooting balance, and finishing ability. Hawkins had two 14-point games against Golden State last season.
Leave a Reply