Superstar guard Stephen Curry raised some concern among fans when he went back to the locker room during the first-half of the Golden State Warriors 103-86 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Friday night.
The 2x MVP suffered a re-aggravation of a thumb injury that he's dealt with throughout the season, having returned to the court on Friday to play just over 27 minutes against the Trail Blazers. Curry had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists on 6-of-14 shooting, before resting the entirety of the fourth-quarter as the Warriors rounded out a comfortable win.
The Warriors have listed Stephen Curry as questionable vs. Clippers
Needless to say Golden State will need the best version of Curry to beat the L.A. Clippers in the regular season finale at Chase Center on Sunday, but there's no guarantee the 37-year-old even suits up against the pacific rival.
The Warriors have listed Curry as questionable to face the Clippers with a thumb sprain, but have an otherwise clear injury report as they seek to secure a playoff berth. Quinten Post (illness) and Gary Payton (knee) both missed this week's back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, yet will be available after making their return in Portland.
The equation is simply for Golden State -- win and they earn the sixth-seed and will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round of the playoffs, otherwise lose and they'll almost certainly be condemned to finishing seventh and hosting the Memphis Grizzlies in the first Play-In game (assuming the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the lowly Utah Jazz).
The Clippers will also have plenty to play for -- a win and they clinch a top five spot with the potential of going up to fourth, while a loss would see them drop to the Play-In as they would lose the tiebreak between the Timberwolves and Warriors.
But not only will Sunday's game determine the final standings, it will also provide an important pre-postseason litmus test for Golden State and how much Jimmy Butler's impact can extend against one of the most in-form teams in the league.
The Clippers have held sway over the Warriors in recent times, having won the last six games between the two teams including all three earlier this season. However, Golden State are a different proposition since acquiring Butler, having gone 23-6 with the 6x All-Star in the lineup.
The Clippers are also an incredible 17-3 in their last 20 games, making for an incredible conclusion to the regular season in what Curry believes should be a "Game 7 kind of vibe" at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon.