Warriors' Stephen Curry Confirms He'll Play in NBA Finals Game 4 Despite Foot Injury
June 9, 2022
Stephen Curry may not be 100 percent, but he'll be in the lineup for Friday's Game 4 matchup against the Boston Celtics.
“I’m going to play. That is all I know right now," Curry told reporters Thursday.
The Warriors guard suffered a foot injury in the fourth quarter of Golden State's Game 3 loss when Al Horford landed on top of his leg while scrambling for a loose ball.
"We need him if we want to win this thing," Klay Thompson told reporters of Curry. "I know Steph's going to do everything he can in his power to play. I am really hoping he's OK, because he's our identity and without him it would be very difficult."
Curry said it's unclear whether he would be able to play if this were a regular-season game, noting the context of the game would matter in the decision.
The Warriors enter Game 4 trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Curry being their only consistent offensive force. He's averaging a series-high 31.3 points over the first three games; no other Warrior is averaging more than 17 points per game.
It's no surprise that Curry would be able to push through the injury to stay on the floor, but it'll be interesting to see whether he's limited, particularly on the defensive end. Golden State's lockdown defense has only shown up intermittently in these Finals, as the younger, springier Celtics have used their athletic prowess to their advantage.
Warriors coach Steve Kerry may have to adjust his rotations to have more back-end help at the rim if Curry is getting beat consistently off the dribble as a result of the injury.