Stephen Curry was absent during the Golden State Warriors’ 104-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, opting to rest his back. Curry's name was officially listed as "out" in the NBA’s injury report at 4:30 p.m. ET, shortly after news of his absence broke.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had hinted at this possibility following Monday’s 114-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets, where Curry showed visible signs of fatigue.
"He's tired. Steph's been carrying us for a month. He's amazing," Kerr told reporters. "We gotta get him some rest. You can see it. He doesn't have his energy right now."
Jimmy Butler Steps Up in Curry's Absence
In the absence of Curry, Butler shouldered the extra load for Golden State as he finished with a commendable line of 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Warriors immediately imposed their tempo by winning the first two quarters, albeit allowing the Bucks to record a 32-point third-quarter outburst.
Final score:
- Milwaukee Bucks: 93
- Golden State Warriors: 104
Curry's Latest Struggles Show Signs of Burnout
Curry, 37, for over a week now has felt the raft of the burden of the Warriors' offense on his shoulders. He played for 36 minutes against the Nuggets on Monday, shooting 6-of-21 from the field and 4-of-14 from downtown for 20 points.
Curry has been shooting about 37% from the floor (32-of-86) and 32% from three (19-of-59) over his last five games. That has been quite a drop in efficiency. He averages 25.7 points and 6.7 assists in March thus far, but his shooting percentage has plummeted to 38% from deep compared to a wonderful February in which he averaged 30.7 points a game.
Payton Acknowledges Curry’s Heavy Workload
Gary Payton II, who contributed 18 points in the win over the Bucks, acknowledged the physical toll on Curry.
"We try to take the pressure off him as much as we can," Payton said via the Associated Press. "He has a guy on his hip 48 minutes of the game. I’m pretty sure he’s a little gassed."
Season Stats and Career Milestones
Curry averages 24.3 points per game, which is the lowest figure for him since the past five years, and he has managed to shoot a mere 39% from beyond the three-point line, which is pretty low as compared to what we have generally seen in recent seasons. Despite all of these low forms of flattery, Curry managed to touch two remarkable milestones recently:
- 25000 Career Points: March 8 vs Detroit Pistons.
- 4000 Career 3-Pointers: The only NBA player to reach this milestone on March 13 vs Sacramento Kings.
Warriors Look Ahead to Raptors Clash
Warriors are now set to host Toronto Raptors next on Thursday in the hopes of keeping the momentum going. His return seems just a matter of time, as the Warriors are trying to work in a schedule that will space out his play to leave him fresh for the critical stretch of the season.