The Golden State Warriors have announced that superstar guard Stephen Curry will miss the team's first NBA Cup game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday due to illness.
The 2x MVP missed Wednesday's loss to the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, with his symptoms reportedly only worsening in a crushing blow to Golden State's chances of taking down Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
Warriors will be without Stephen Curry in Denver on Friday
The Warriors have already produced a stunning win over the Nuggets two weeks ago in their home opener, overcoming Aaron Gordon's extraordinary 50-point game to win a thriller 137-131 in overtime.
However, it did take Curry taking over down the stretch to force overtime and eventually claim victory, with the 37-year-old dropping 42 points in his best performance of the season to date. Golden State won't have the same affordability on Friday, while they could also be without their second star in Jimmy Butler who continues to deal with lower back soreness.
The 6x All-Star also missed Wednesday's loss and didn't play in the second-half of Tuesday night's victory over the Phoenix Suns, having initially gone into that game questionable before playing 14 minutes.
Draymond Green is probable to return after his first absence of the season against the Kings, though his presence on the sideline signified that it was far more of a rest than it was any concerning injury/illness matter.
Steph Curry will not play tomorrow against the Nuggets in Denver. Remains out with an illness. Symptoms worsened yesterday. Jimmy Butler is questionable to return. Draymond Green is probable.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 6, 2025
Golden State's back-to-back losses last week are only making Curry's illness all the more worse, with a loss to Denver on Friday set to push them quickly back to a .500 record after starting the season 4-1.
The Warriors would argue they should be at least 7-2 rather than 5-4, having lost to a Milwaukee Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo followed by an even more embarrassing loss to a decimated Indiana Pacers who handed the lowly Brooklyn Nets their first win of the season on Wednesday.
Head coach Steve Kerr stated that they would have to make up for those losses over the remainder of the season, but they were unable to do so on Wednesday without the veteran trio despite jumping out to a 13-point lead in the first-half.
Friday's game against the Nuggets now presents as another of these 'make up' games that Kerr speaks of, yet it's going to be incredibly difficult given the hosts are 5-2 on the season and haven't lost to the Warriors at Ball Arena since March 10, 2022.