The Golden State Warriors’ tightrope walk was close to snapping on Friday night. While teams are strategically benching starters for playoff positioning, the Dubs went all-in against the Sacramento Kings, bringing back Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis after a day of rest. But things went sideways in the first half. All of 2026, Warriors fans have been watching their stars go down in tragic fashion. Tonight, too as they saw Steph limp to the bench, fans worried about the team’s postseason aspirations.
In a chaotic defensive sequence during the second quarter, Curry twisted up during a steal attempt from Kings’ Devin Carter. A picture captured the moment in painful detail when Curry’s outstretched leg bent inwards at the ankle.
On-court microphones and cameras captured the 38-year-old in visible discomfort. He limped to the bench as the arena watched.
According to reports from the arena, he immediately sought out Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini and head coach Steve Kerr during a timeout. “Slumped into his seat, head back,” was the description from courtside observers as Curry appeared to be assessing a right leg that has already cost him 27 games this season.
Our Bay Area News Group photographer Jose Fajardo got a pic of the Curry injury. It looks like he rolled his ankle. pic.twitter.com/GHFy7JQPBU
— Joseph Dycus (@joseph_dycus) April 11, 2026
Stephen Curry’s situation is the ‘new normal’ for Warriors
With the Play-In tournament looming, the decision to push through what looks like an ugly ankle injury right after rehabbing a runner’s knee has many wondering if Golden State is risking Curry’s availability when it matters most. It is particularly cruel given that Curry is still in a phase where he’s ramping up his return to the court after being sidelined since January 30.
In the time that Curry has been unavailable, the Warriors fans have seen Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and yesterday, LJ Cryer, suffer horrifying injuries on the court. They’re really sensitive to these scenes right now. The injury to LJ Cryer on Thursday had already depleted the backcourt, and seeing Curry limp puts pressure on the skeleton crew.
Critics are already arguing that by staying in the game after the Devin Carter steal, Curry is risking turning a minor tweak into a season-ending catastrophe, especially given his history of setbacks during this year’s rehab process.
