Stephen Curry will not play in Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Golden State Warriors ruled him out, meaning there will be zero matchups between Curry and LeBron James this regular season.
Warriors Prioritise Curry’s Fitness
James missed the first matchup on opening night because of sciatica. Curry missed the previous two matchups because of a persistent right knee issue. The Warriors are opting to sit him on the front side of an upcoming back-to-back in an effort to manage his comeback, holding him out of the final Lakers game.
The Warriors’ medical staff, led by Rick Celebrini, decided on Thursday morning they’d prefer Curry play in Sacramento on Friday night rather than Thursday night at home against the Warriors. They’d initially listed Curry as questionable.
Curry and James: Head-to-Head Record
Curry is in his 17th NBA season. James is in his league-record 23rd with no confirmation he will stretch it to a 24th. They’ve faced each other 27 times in the regular season and 28 times in the playoffs.
- James’ teams are 14-13 in the regular season.
- Curry’s teams are 17-11 in the playoffs, winning three of the five series.
Warriors’ Play-In Push
Curry returned this past Sunday night from a 27-game absence and played a combined 51 minutes the past two games. He scored a combined 43 points in the two games, coming off the bench to better spread out his court time.
The Warriors are locked into the 10th seed and need to win two road play-in games next week to force their way into the playoffs as the eighth seed. The Warriors hope to crank Curry’s usage up over the 30-minute mark this weekend as they prepare for Wednesday night’s elimination game against either the Portland Trail Blazers or LA Clippers.
The Lakers, without the injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, are 50-29, tied with the Houston Rockets for the fourth seed with three games left.