WARRIORS, HAWKS READY FOR TITLE GAMES
ATLANTA— Stephen Curry’s right ankle twisted awkwardly as he stepped on Zaza Pachulia’s left foot underneath the basket.
That initially prompted two reactions. Did Curry seriously injure his surgically repaired right ankle? Why can’t Pachulia stop putting himself in a position potentially to hurt teammates and opponents?
Curry went to the bench and subsequently the locker room to address the latter concern. But he soon proved any worries about his health remained as unwarranted as any possibility the Warriors would have a let-down game against one of the Eastern Conference’s worst teams.
The Warriors finished with a 114-109 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday despite nearly squandering an 18-point lead. But Warriors reserve forward Andre Iguodala forced a turnover and finished with a dunk with 5.4 seconds left. Meanwhile, Curry posted 28 points for all the familiar reasons with his stellar shooting from the field (8 of 15), 3point range (4 of 9) and the free-throw line (8 of 8) in only 23 minutes. Though Kevin Durant (28 points), Nick Young (16) and Klay Thompson (15) complemented the Warriors’ offensive balance, most of the focus centered on Curry for obvious reasons. He fulfilled his usual job description as if nothing had happened to his ankle.
After Curry tweaked his right ankle with 1:22 left in the first quarter, Warriors coach Steve Kerr immediately called timeout. Curry went to the bench for treatment before soon walking to the locker room on his own accord. That only sparked concerns for obvious reasons.
Curry’s health largely could determine the Warriors’ chances to win a backto-back title. He has had a history with ankle injuries, including missing a combined 13 games this season after spraining his right ankle in on Dec. 4 in New Orleans. And the Warriors already had a thin backcourt with second-year guard Patrick McCaw (left wrist) and Shaun Livingston (rest) sidelined.
When Curry returned with 7:18 left in the second quarter, he played carefree.
Curry drained his first 3point attempt. Curry then pulled up for an 18-foot jumper before falling down on the ground and drawing a foul on Hawks guard Dennis Schroder. Moments later, Curry sank the foul shot. He then drained another shot after falling down, this one from 3-point range.
Add it all up, and Curry
scored 15 points, while going 5 of 7 from the field, 2 of 4 from 3-point range and 3 of 3 from the foul line during the second quarter.
Curry then opened the third quarter draining another 3-point shot. The highlights in the second half became short lived, though. Curry sat out at the 6:24 mark. Four minutes later, the Warriors determined Curry would sit out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons.