Marysville Appeal-Democrat

How soon could Steph Curry return? Surgery will decide

- By Elliott Almond The Mercury News (TNS)

If Stephen Curry had surgery to fix a fracture on his left hand, he would not return to the court any faster, medical specialist­s said Thursday.

The Golden Warriors all-star point guard had a CT scan on Thursday to help physicians get a clear picture of the severity of the injury.

“Surgery would not necessaril­y get him back quicker,” said Dr. Joshua Richards, a hand specialist at Webster Orthopedic­s in the East Bay. “It would be to realign the bone in a better position.”

Physicians said Curry, 31, a two-time NBA most valuable player, should be sidelined no more than two months, with the possibilit­y that he could return to play after four weeks.

Team officials said Thursday that the CT scan would help in making a decision of whether Curry needs to have surgery for the injury he suffered Wednesday night, when the Phoenix Suns’ Aron Baynes, a 6-foot-10, 260-pound center, accidental­ly fell on him.

Warriors officials have not publicly stated what Curry’s injury might be but said that they hope to have a timetable for treatment by Friday afternoon. ESPN reported that Curry broke the second metacarpal bone connecting to the index finger of his left hand. Curry is righthande­d.

“In the non-shooting hand he’d be able to return six to eight weeks at the worst-case scenario,” said Richards, a clinical assistant professor at UC San Francisco.

“In general, the index metacarpal is a good bone to break if you have to break one,” added Dr. Michelle G. Carlson, a sports-related hand and upper extremity surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “It is a little easier to come back from than the other metacarpal­s.”

She said it is easier to get motion back in an index finger because the tendons do not run on top of the bone like other metacarpal­s bones.

Curry suffered the injury in the third quarter Wednesday night at the Chase Center when he attempted to make a layup but fell to the court.

Christchur­ch native pens support

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 ?? Bay Area News Group/tns ?? Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry reacts after injuring his hand against the Phoenix Suns.
Bay Area News Group/tns Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry reacts after injuring his hand against the Phoenix Suns.

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