Programming Note: Tune into “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday on NBC Sports Bay Area before the Warriors and Grizzlies tip-off. Immediately after the final buzzer, tune back in for “Warriors Postgame Live.”
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors ended the 2024-25 NBA regular season not only with a tough 124-119 overtime loss Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, dropping them to the play-in tournament game as the No. 7 seed, but also injury worries to their three veteran stars, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Monday’s injury report ahead of Tuesday’s play-in game, in which the Warriors will host the Memphis Grizzlies, brought good news. None of Curry, Green or Butler are listed on the injury report, nor are any other Warriors players.
Curry in the Warriors’ previous game, a blowout road win over the Portland Trail Blazers, jammed his right thumb early and showed clear discomfort. He even received X-rays during the win before returning to the game. Imaging came back negative, and Curry ended with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting and was 2 of 8 from 3-point range in 27 minutes on Friday.
His thumb was taped and padded when Curry returned Friday. He was questionable going into Sunday’s regular-season finale, but played and again tried to protect his right hand as much as possible while playing through a problem that first popped up as far back as December. Though he scored a team-high 36 points, 21 of them came in the fourth quarter and overtime, plus Curry committed a season-high eight turnovers.
When asked about his right thumb after the loss, Curry was short and coy in his answer.
“It was fine,” Curry said. “I try not to think about it too much … yeah, just keep playing.”
A few minutes into the first quarter Sunday, Green tried to save a poorly placed pass from Curry but paid the price. Green was clobbered in the back of the head by Norman Powell’s left hip and immediately began grabbing at his neck.
Draymond went to the locker room after colliding with Norman Powell on this play pic.twitter.com/GseBoJ7aRF
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 13, 2025
Green returned from the Warriors’ locker room with a little under two minutes left in the first quarter. He played 38 minutes and was a minus-5 with 14 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocked shots. So much happened in the Warriors’ loss that Green wasn’t even asked about any concerns to his head and neck area afterward.
Instead, he assured everyone that fatigue won’t be a factor for the 37-year-old Curry, as well as himself and Butler – both 35 – having to play so many minutes in a loss that still led to the play-in tournament for a quick turnaround.
“We’ll be fine,” Green said. “… We’re not senior citizens. We’re high-level basketball players.”
If Green’s injury scare was somewhat lost in the shuffle, Butler’s wasn’t.
Playing a game-high 48 minutes, Butler rose to the occasion. Butler battled Kawhi Leonard all day and had his first 30-point game since joining the Warriors at the NBA trade deadline a little more than two months ago. Butler’s 30 points came on 12-of-20 shooting, but he was visibly limping near the end of the game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Butler told him he’d be good to go for Tuesday, and the same message was relayed by Butler in the locker room.
“I’ll be all right,” Butler said. “Go home and play some dominoes, drink some coffee. That’ll help me feel better.”
Butler said he took a knee from Leonard to his thigh under the basket. Was he worried in the moment?
“No,” Butler responded. “I mean, it hurt. But I’m not too worried. I know I’m going to be good to go. [Longtime personal trainer Armando Rivas] is going to take great care of me.”
The health of the Warriors’ three stars is what can lift them into the NBA playoffs and propel them for a deep run, or bring their season to a crashing end if something goes wrong.
Going into Tuesday’s play-in tournament game against the Grizzlies, with a chance to move on and face the Houston Rockets in the first round, the injury report is on the Warriors’ side – in spite of nursing obvious bumps and bruises.
