The Golden State Warriors lost Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals, 116-110, on Wednesday night, but an even bigger storyline that emerged from the loss was a left foot injury to superstar guard Stephen Curry. Late in the fourth quarter, Curry was in some serious pain after Boston Celtics big man Al Horford appeared to land on top of Curry's lower leg during a scrum for a loose ball. However, while the initial injury looked rather troublesome, Curry vowed to play in Game 4. Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed Curry will be good to go Friday night.
When asked how confident he was that he could play Friday without being limited, Curry said "I'm going to play, that's all I know right now." Earlier in the day it was reported that there was optimism within the Warriors camp that Curry evaded a major injury and he won't need an MRI, according to The Athletic.
When the injury occurred, Curry stayed in the game for several more minutes, though he appeared to be laboring around the court after the incident. After the game, the two-time league MVP said it felt like a mild foot sprain.
Here's a look at the play:
Steph appeared to be in pain after scrambling for a ball late in the fourth quarter pic.twitter.com/nRkBaWfCSA
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 9, 2022
"I'll be all right," Curry said after Game 3. "I got caught underneath Al [Horford]. Obviously there'll be some pain, but I'll be all right. Figure out how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday ... [It was] the same thing I did against Boston during the regular season, but not as bad."
Steph says he will be alright after hurting his foot during a scramble for the ball pic.twitter.com/zlxj3YQRgR
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 9, 2022
Curry's confidence after Game 3, coupled with him doubling down on his assertion that he'll play in Game 4 is a huge sigh of relief for the Warriors. It's impossible to overstate how important he is to Golden State's entire offensive attack, so him being as close to 100 percent healthy is top priority.
However, the quick turnaround from Games 3 and 4, with only 48 hours between them, will test Curry's pain tolerance. Boston did a great job of hunting him on defense in Game 3, and got him into foul trouble early in the contest. The Celtics will surely do that again, and if Curry's dealing with any sort of pain in that left foot, it could be problematic for Golden State.
