The Golden State Warriors looked to continue their heavy momentum of late when they faced off against a short-handed Denver Nuggets team on Monday. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun, but they surprised everyone by clipping the Warriors, 114-105, at Chase Center.
Stephen Curry, who has been playing brilliant basketball ever since the arrival of six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, shot just 6-of-21 from the field and 4-of-14 from 3-point range and also committed seven turnovers. He also struggled with his shooting in their last game, which was a 97-94 win over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
After the game, head coach Steve Kerr said Curry is "tired" and "exhausted" after carrying the team for a month. He said he needs to get the superstar some rest and said he may not play on Tuesday versus the Milwaukee Bucks.
Steve Kerr on Steph Curry
"He's tired"
"He's exhausted"
"He's been carrying us for a month"
Kerr said they'd "potentially" sit him tomorrow vs Bucks in hopes to get him rejuvenated pic.twitter.com/dTCdl9ZNrr
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 18, 2025
From Feb. 8, when Butler made his Golden State debut, to March 6, Curry averaged 30.3 points a game while shooting 51.3% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range. He looked like he was back to his vintage self after looking to be in slow decline during the first half of the season.
But in his last five games, he has gone 32-of-86 from the field.
Many scoff at the mere idea of load management, and perhaps a reduction in minutes would be better for Curry than sitting out a game or two, especially given the increased help he now has around him.
The Warriors had won 14 of their previous 16 games coming into Monday. They're still in sixth place in the Western Conference with a 39-29 record, but they're now in a virtual tie with the seventh-place Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 40-30. Obviously, Golden State wants to hang onto sixth place and avoid the play-in tournament.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 11:07 PM.