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Berger: GS can exhale Curry's knee is OK | Warriors GM: Curry timetable just a guess

The Golden State Warriors and the basketball world caught a break Monday, as Stephen Curry's MRI revealed a Grade 1 sprain of his medial collateral ligament, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Notice that the release says he'll be "re-evaluated in two weeks" which means if there's lingering soreness or discomfort, or if the strain has not healed itself adequately, he could miss more time. Still, this is much preferred than any other outcome, including a potential tear which would have cost him the season.

Meanwhile, Curry will definitely miss Game 5 between the Rockets and Warriors in Oakland on Wednesday. Beyond that it will depend on a.) Curry's recovery and b.) the timing and schedule of their second-round series against the Blazers or Clippers. If that series wraps in five games later this week, Curry could miss up to four games or more of the next series. If the Blazers force the series to Game 6 or 7 (or win), that would delay the start of the semifinals until next week, buying Curry more time before the games begin. It seems very unlikely at this point he'll be available for Games 1 or 2 of the semifinals.

Curry slipped on a wet spot during Game 4 just before halftime. He had complained to the officials during the course of the game of it being slick in that area already, and then a collision that sent Donatas Motiejunas resulted in it being more slippery. Curry attempted to return in the second half, but after halftime warmups dejectedly returned to the locker room. The Warriors went on to dominate the Rockets in the second half on their way to taking a 3-1 series lead.

With Curry's timeline now revealed, here are five things to know as the Warriors begin to fight for their playoff lives without the reigning and presumptive MVP.

1. This is the best realistic outcome. Given the way his knee bent when he slipped, a Grade 1 sprain is just about the best outcome they could have hoped for. With the way he'll get around-the-clock treatment to shore off as much of that as possible, missing at least two weeks is obviously damaging to their playoff hopes, but it's also substantially preferred than suffering an MCL tear and missing the rest of the playoffs. Steve Kerr was not optimistic after Sunday's win and the mood around the team was described as somber. This is a setback, not a death knell, for Golden State's hopes of repeating as NBA champions. 

2. Curry will not be 100 percent during these playoffs. When Curry "tweaked" his ankle during Game 1 vs. Houston, it kept him out two full games, and he described the injury as being related to his prior ankle surgeries. The problem wasn't necessarily structural, it had more to do with soreness and discomfort than anything. He also acknowledged that he would probably be dealing with it throughout the playoffs. 

The knee complicates and further exacerbates this. When injured, you compensate with other parts of the body. Curry being "healed" enough to play does not mean Curry being "100 percent." The Warriors no longer have that luxury. They have to get him back on the floor, unless they go out and dominate their second-round opponent without Curry. (Every Warriors fan is now picking up their "Go Blazers!" signs.) He's going to be dealing with residual pain and soreness throughout both injuries. How that affects his shot, his mobility, his ability to control the game at the level he has is unknown, but it should be mentioned that in 2013 when Curry suffered a sore ankle vs. the Nuggets, he was not the same in a second-round matchup vs. the Spurs. 

3. The Warriors will believe they can win without him. They know how great Curry is. They love him as a player and as a leader. But their pride is in their defense, and the way they play as a team. Draymond Green is their emotional core. Andre Iguodala is their calming influence. Klay Thompson is capable of huge scoring nights. Their veterans are ready to play and do their jobs. They are just as comfortable in a knock-down, drag-out slugfest as they are in a chaotic, up and down scoring explosion. 

They still have the best homecourt atmosphere in the league, they still have no fear of any other team, they still have shooters, rebounders, passers, and defenders. There are no blatant weaknesses with this remaining roster. They would still be a playoff team if Curry had missed the regular season. More than anything, though, this team believes in itself. It's what propelled them past the Rockets in a blowout in the second half of Game 4. It's what won them 73 games, the most in NBA history, it's what helped them win a title last year. 

It's possible no team in NBA history has drawn more success from rebelling against doubters and critics like this team. They thrive on the demolition of those they manufacture disrespect from.

They are not going down easy, and if their opponents do not bring it, they will lose.

4. They cannot afford another key injury. This is huge, gigantic, unbelievably large going forward. They can't afford an ankle sprain for Klay Thompson, a sprained toe for Shaun Livingston, knee soreness from Andrew Bogut or a hangnail for Green. Anyone in the top eight of the rotation going down would be devastating. They're going to need everyone's contribution. Iguodala falling back would hurt their outside shooting and perimeter defense. Livingston going down puts Leandro Barbosa at point. Green going down would be a disaster all over and Thompson even missing a game would be horrible for their offense.

Curry is their most important player, and while the Warriors (as said above) will be tough as nails without him, if they lose another guy they simply will not have the firepower to keep up with the Clippers, and would even be in danger vs. Portland.

They need to finish out the Rockets in Game 5 Wednesday, get their starters rest, and make sure to manage workloads going forward so they don't suffer another setback.

5. Fair or not, other teams will see this as an opportunity. The Warriors were dominant this year, even against the top teams. They went a combined 12-1 vs. the Spurs, Thunder, Cavaliers, and Clippers in the regular season. That created a sense of inevitability. You could argue for the Spurs, hold out hope for the Cavs or Thunder (or even Clippers) but you could not realistically feel like you were going to beat this team four times out of seven. This means the window is open for the Warriors to fall, and if the Clippers (or Blazers) were to knock off Golden State due to Curry's injury, the championship rings don't come with an asterisk on them.

Warriors fans would forever decry the title as having been stolen, but that's not going to matter to whoever wins, just as Cleveland's injury issues last year (though not comparable to a player having arguably the greatest season in NBA history) did not sully Golden State's joy in its accomplishment. Injuries are a cruel and unavoidable (to at least some degree) part of the game, and in a league where you only get so many chances at winning the championship, you take your opportunities when you get them. This only ramps up the intensity of the playoff. That it takes a Curry injury for that feeling to shift is a testament to the greatness of Golden State, but it remains just the same.

The NBA playoffs are about to reach a fever pitch. If the Warriors can survive until Curry returns, their confidence will put them right back on track to the title most likely. If they can't, teams that may have felt they were helpless in the Warriors' wake will suddenly find an ocean cleared of obstacles, and a championship oasis within sight.

Curry
Steph Curry will be re-evaluated in two weeks. (USATSI)