A rivalry that began to gain some steam last season will at least temporarily stall again when Stephen Curry sits out Tuesday’s matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco with an ankle injury.
Curry and Pelicans standout Zion Williamson have gone head-to-head just five of a possible 17 times since New Orleans made the former Duke star the first pick of the 2019 draft.
Three of those meetings took place last season, when the Pelicans won twice at Golden State after watching Curry burn them for 42 points in a Warriors victory in New Orleans in October. Williamson had 19 and 26 points in the road wins.
The rivalry appeared headed for a fourth consecutive duel before Curry suffered a peroneal strain in his left ankle during the third quarter of Sunday’s 112-104 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Olympic star returned to action in the fourth period but lasted just seconds before pulling himself out of the game for good.
An MRI came back clear, and the Warriors announced Monday that Curry would be re-evaluated on Friday.
“He’s doing OK,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said after Sunday’s game. “He used the word mild or moderate. He’s obviously sprained that ankle many times before, so he doesn’t think it’s too bad.”
Curry will miss both games of a home back-to-back against the Pelicans, as will teammate De’Anthony Melton, who strained his lower back in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss.
Melton also had an MRI and is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Friday.
Brandin Podziemski, an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection last season, could replace Curry in the starting lineup.
Without the NBA’s 3-point king available for most of the final 15 minutes, the Warriors suffered their first defeat of the season after a pair of lopsided wins on the road.
The Pelicans have followed the same script in their first three games. They also opened with consecutive wins, including Friday night at Portland, before falling 125-103 in another of the NBA’s two-game, same-opponent sequences on Sunday.
New Orleans has been playing without newcomer guard Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand in Wednesday’s season opener against the Chicago Bulls. Forward Trey Murphy III has also been sidelined with a hamstring injury he suffered during the preseason.
CJ McCollum (23.3 points per game) and Brandon Ingram (22.7) have propelled the Pelicans amid their injuries, while Williamson has chipped in 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in his two games after missing the season opener with an illness.
Second-year guard Jordan Hawkins has been surprisingly productive for New Orleans, averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.3 minutes across three contests.
Hawkins, who played on UConn’s championship team in 2023, averaged just 7.8 points in 67 games (10 starts) as a rookie last season. But the veteran McCollum sensed bigger things were on the horizon after what he saw in the preseason.
“He had one of the best training camps I’ve seen in my 12 years (in the NBA),” McCollum said. “He’s gotten a lot better with his decision-making, his shot balance, shot credibility, his ability to finish around the basket.”
Hawkins had a pair of 14-point games against Golden State last season.
–Field Level Media