Stephen Curry Walked To The Locker Room Six Minutes In, And The Golden State Warriors’ Streak Is On The Line

Stephen Curry in action in his Golden State Warriors jersey.© Instagram/@stephencurry30

Stephen Curry hit a 28-foot three in Houston on Wednesday night, then grabbed at his side. Just six minutes into the game, the Warriors guard walked to the locker room with a trainer and never returned. Golden State had won eight straight games after an 0-3 start, and the team arrived in Houston chasing its ninth. Now the Warriors must try to keep that run going without the player who has driven it from the start, and nobody knows yet how long he will be out.

Stephen Curry Leaves Early With Abdominal Soreness

Curry had fallen to the floor on a drive just before he made the three. Afterward, he began holding his right hip and side. He stayed down for a couple of possessions before checking out at the 6:25 mark. He then walked off with Drew Yoder, the team's director of sports medicine.

The Warriors soon ruled him out for the rest of the night. The first word from the team was right abdominal soreness. Curry finished with three points on 1-of-3 shooting in just six minutes. There is no timetable for his return, and the team has not said how serious the injury is.

LJ Cryer came off the bench and hit two quick threes to help fill the gap. Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski also took on more of the scoring and ball-handling.

Warriors' Thin Roster Faces A Tough Road Ahead

Curry has been playing like an MVP this season. He is averaging more than 30 points a game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three. The Warriors came into the night at 8-3 with the second-best offense in the league, so losing him hurts the team where it is strongest.

The Warriors have very little room to cope. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are out with knee injuries, and Kristaps Porzingis and Gary Payton II are out as well. Brandon Williams is expected to miss at least a week with a mild left hamstring strain. Will Richard is playing through a torn ligament in his thumb.

The schedule offers no relief. After Houston, the Warriors visit San Antonio, then play at Dallas and New Orleans on back-to-back nights. All of it is part of a five-game road trip.

Curry is 38, and the team has been careful with him. A knee problem kept him out for 27 straight games last season, and this year Golden State plays 15 back-to-backs. For now, the Warriors can only wait and hope it turns out to be a minor tweak.