Stephen Curry Injury Update: Warriors PG Comments on Potential Return

As the Golden State Warriors wait for their second-round opponent to be determined, reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry sounds cautiously optimistic about a potential return sooner than expected. 

Curry told reporters on Friday that his sprained MCL is healing well but stopped before declaring he would be back before the May 9 target date. 

"Feeling better but just got a ways to go," Curry said, via ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss. "I always have an optimistic view, no matter what it is. I hope to get back sooner. I haven't talked to the doctors, athletic training staff, all the experts. That two-week timeline was, as Bob (Myers, general manager) says, an educated guess."

After sitting out Games 2 and 3 against the Houston Rockets with an ankle injury, Curry returned for the Warriors in Game 4. He scored six points on 2-of-9 shooting but injured his knee slipping on a wet area of the court at the Toyota Center late in the second quarter.

Curry underwent an MRI that revealed a sprained MCL. The Warriors announced that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks. He told Sherwood Strauss the injury "could have been 10 times worse. It was just simply a wet spot that put me in a very vulnerable position."

As far as the work Curry is doing to get back on the court, he said he's still working to get back his full range of motion: "Doing some things where I can keep my cardio up and my strength in the weight room. Just started riding the bike a little bit yesterday. All the things that can keep your body active while they're still healing."

Golden State had no problems getting past the Rockets, outscoring them by a combined 60 points in Games 4 and 5. The Warriors will play the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Portland Trail Blazers series, which Portland leads 3-2 heading into Friday's Game 6. 

The Warriors are loaded with talent, starting with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but Curry is the engine who makes everything work. Their 73-win regular season was a great accomplishment, though one that will feel hollow without an NBA title this year. 

Curry's presence is crucial for the Warriors to reach the top of the mountain once again. He may not be ready to get on the floor just yet, but at least he's sounding better about returning.