Warriors' Stephen Curry leaves with injury to left knee

ByCHRIS HAYNES
March 24, 2018, 12:34 AM

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In his first game back since missing six contests with a right ankle injury, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry left late in the third quarter of Friday night's 106-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks with a left knee injury and did not return.

The Warriors said Curry suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee and would undergo an MRI on Saturday.

The incident occurred when teammate  JaVale McGee elevated for a block attempt and ended up falling on the left leg of Curry. The two-time NBA MVP immediately begin hopping and then limping in pain.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who pulled Curry from the game promptly, said he initially assumed the injury was to Curry's ankle when he saw him limping.

"We'll see what the MRI says tomorrow," Kerr said. "There's not a lot we can do or predict. Kind of a strange, cruel twist of fate, you know. He rehabs his ankle for the last couple of weeks, gets that strong, and then the knee goes. So we'll see what happens. Keep our fingers crossed."

The Warriors head performance therapist, Chelsea Lane, checked on Curry while on the bench as he sat in clear frustration. Moments later, Curry attempted to exit for the locker room, but he was struggling to do so.

He played in 25 minutes and scored 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

Asked what he makes of Curry's spate of injuries this season, Kerr threw up his hands and said they seemed random.

"We're not doing anything different," Kerr said. "He's not doing anything different from what we've done the last few years."

Kerr said the mood in the locker room after the game was "a little somber."

"Everybody feels for Steph," Kerr said. "But it's more a case of you gotta keep going, keep pushing forward." 

Despite the injury, Curry was in "good spirits," Kerr said.

"I talked to him," Kerr said. "He's disappointed, but that's part of it. You just keep pushing and see how it goes tomorrow."

Information from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski was used in this report.