Stephen Curry Tweaks Ankle in Warriors' Loss to Kings, Eyes Play-In Game

Stephen Curry suffered a minor ankle injury during Friday's 124-118 loss to the Sacramento Kings but expects to play in the Warriors' regular-season finale on Sunday and the likely 9/10 Play-In game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The 38-year-old guard slipped on a wet spot on the court with just over nine minutes left in the first quarter and appeared to be in discomfort before returning to the game.

Curry’s injury comes during a critical stretch of the season. This is his third game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for over two months. Steve Kerr immediately called a timeout to assess the situation, and Warriors VP of player health and performance Rick Celebrini worked with Curry on the bench before he returned to action.

"He's doing fine," Kerr said. "It was his ankle, it wasn't his knee. That's why I took the timeout. I was worried it was his knee. I just saw him limping and he came over and said, 'No, I'm fine. It's just the ankle.' He just tweaked it or something but he's fine."

Curry finished the game with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 27 minutes. He appeared to struggle in the first half but found some rhythm in the second half. After the game, he was seen icing his ankle and receiving additional treatment from the training staff.

"As long as it's not my knee, I can deal with ankles," Curry said. "My knee felt pretty good, even better than last game, so I'll take that as a positive."

Kerr confirmed the plan is for Curry to play Sunday's regular-season finale against the Clippers. Curry said he is targeting 30-32 minutes to build rhythm ahead of Wednesday's winner-take-all play-in matchup.

"I'll be comfortable with it," Curry said. "I find it hard to believe that if the game calls for a couple extra minutes that we won't make the right decision there."

With the Warriors currently holding the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, the outcome of Sunday's game against the Clippers and the Kings' remaining schedule will determine the bracket for the Play-In game. The Warriors have a 23-21 record this season, while the Kings are at 21-23. The Clippers are at 20-24 and will be a tough opponent in what could be a pivotal game for Golden State's playoff chances.

The Warriors will look to get Curry back to full strength quickly as the postseason looms. The team has a history of success in high-stakes games, and a healthy Curry is always a key factor in their potential for a deep playoff run.