NBA: Curry confident of fitness despite ‘tennis ball’ bump
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to his three-point shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game two of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 18, 2016 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is confident of being fit to face the Oklahoma City Thunder this weekend despite suffering a badly swollen elbow in Game Two.
Curry produced a virtuoso third quarter performance to inspire the Warriors to a 118-91 victory over the Thunder on Wednesday as Golden State leveled the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
However Curry finished the game with a question mark over his fitness after an incident in the first quarter where he dove headfirst into the crowd as he chased a loose ball.
The fall left Curry with visible swelling on his elbow — but the Warriors star is adamant he will be fit to face the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Sunday.
“Elbow’s fine. It looks like it has a tennis ball on top of it, but it doesn’t affect range of motion or anything. It’s just some pain, so I’ll be all right,” Curry told reporters after Game Two.
Asked if he expected to have the swelling drained, Curry replied: “Something I’ll have to pay attention to the next 48 hours until we leave for OKC.
“If the swelling goes down, then I should be all right. But I think that’s not as invasive a procedure, if necessary. So either way I’ll be fine.”
Curry, who reeled off 15 straight points in a devastating burst of scoring in the third quarter on Wednesday that effectively settled the game, said he is preparing for another bruising encounter in Game Three.
“Game Three is going to be another dogfight that we have to be ready for from the jump, especially in an environment like they had down in OKC,” Curry said.
“So we’ll be ready. We just have to go out and play hard, play with that same kind of spirit.”
