Stephen Curry warms up before playing in game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. (Photo : Getty Images/Bob Levey)
The Golden State Warriors are playing inspired basketball the last few games and are playing for their superstar point guard Stephen Curry. The reigning MVP suffered a right knee injury in his return game on April 24, Sunday and is likely out for Game 5 or longer.
Curry returned for Game 4 after missing the last couple of games due to an ankle sprain he suffered in Game 1. However, he injured his right knee towards the end of the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The score was tied at halftime but the Warriors exploded after Curry's injury scoring 41 points in the third quarter and eventually defeating the Houston Rockets 121-94. The team was led by Klay Thompson who scored a game-high 23 points with seven three-pointers made to go along with five assists and two steals.
"I was trying to raise our level of intensity. When you play with emotion and play for your teammates, you can really get going. If we have that same emotion and intensity on Wednesday, we should be successful," Thompson told NBA.com in a postgame interview.
Andre Iguodala came up big off the bench with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists while Draymond Green had a solid game scoring 18 points, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing six assists. On the other hand, Curry only scored six points in 18 minutes of action.
According to ESPN, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr insisted at halftime that they needed to win the game for their best player. The team responded in a big way and they will have to do same on Wednesday as they try to close the series in five games.
Curry is set to have an MRI that will reveal the severity of his injury and know how long he is going to be out. Warriors' trainers believe the 28-year-old suffered an MCL sprain that takes about weeks or months to recover from depending on the sprain grade.
Golden State is hoping for the best news regarding the injury to their best player. The team will need a healthy Curry if they want to win their second consecutive NBA championship. If the Warriors advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, they will be facing the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Portland Trail Blazers first-round series.
Check out the video below for the highlights of the Warriors' win over the Rockets in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round matchup.
