Curry Suffers Quad Bruise in Warriors’ Loss to Rockets, Awaits MRI
The Golden State Warriors took a hit that could prove more painful than their 104-100 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night when star Stephen Curry limped off the court with a bruised right quadriceps.
Curry, the two-time MVP and cornerstone of the Warriors’ offense, will undergo an MRI exam to determine the severity of the injury and his availability going forward. The injury occurred late in the game, adding injury to insult as Golden State dropped their matchup against Houston on November 26, 2025.
Relief It’s Not Worse
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed cautious optimism about the nature of the injury. “When I heard it was a quad I was actually kind of relieved, better than an ankle or a knee,” Kerr said after the game. “So hopefully he can recover quickly and be OK.”
That said, Kerr acknowledged the significant impact Curry’s absence would have on the team’s approach. “It obviously changes everything, our rotations, how we’re playing, who we’re playing through,” he added. “We’ve got to hold down the fort.”
Curry played through discomfort during the contest, finishing with an uncharacteristically modest 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting, including just 2 of 9 from beyond the arc. He also contributed seven rebounds and five assists, but committed seven turnovers that led to 22 Houston points — a statline that suggests he was clearly affected by the injury.
Double Injury Blow
Adding to the Warriors’ woes, guard Gary Payton II also exited the game with a sprained left ankle that limited him to less than five minutes of playing time, further depleting Golden State’s backcourt options.
How will the Warriors adjust if their superstar is sidelined? Rookie Will Richard emphasized the uphill battle the team faces without their leader. “That’s a challenge, if Steph is out everybody else has to kind of improve their game a lot to fill that void,” Richard noted in post-game comments.
Jimmy Butler was more pointed in his assessment, criticizing the team’s attention to detail. He challenged his teammates to “care more” about the details — especially if they’re without Curry — lamenting how the Warriors sometimes fail to follow their game plan and execute the little things.
The Batman Factor
“What will change the most? I think we’re going to have to be damn near perfect,” Butler explained. “We ain’t going to have the ultimate bailout on our team.”
Butler’s comments highlight Curry’s outsized role in the Warriors’ success, while also suggesting the team has perhaps become too dependent on their star’s heroics. “As great as a basketball player as he is he has a really hard job every single day,” Butler continued. “He’s got to be the Batman of all Batmans and save us every night. That ain’t what he’s here to do.”
The Warriors now face an anxious wait for the MRI results, with the team’s immediate future hanging in the balance. For a squad that has relied so heavily on Curry’s brilliance, his potential absence forces a reckoning: either develop a more balanced approach, or struggle mightily without their superhero.
