Report: Steph on track to return for Game 1 vs. Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Barring any setbacks, it appears the Warriors will get Steph Curry back for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Chase Center.
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Thursday that Curry is "on track" to return for the playoff opener as long as he gets through Thursday's scrimmage with no ill effects.
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Curry has been out since March 16 with a sprained ligament and bone bruise in his left foot. The two-time MVP suffered the injury when Marcus Smart dove for a loose ball and rolled onto his foot and leg during the second quarter of the Warriors' loss to the Boston Celtics.
The Warriors lost five of the first six games after Curry's injury but ended the season on a five-game winning streak to finish at 53-29 and in third place in the Western Conference.
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On Tuesday, the Warriors said Curry was making good progress but his status for Game 1 was to be determined.
Head coach Steve Kerr noted it was "essential" for Curry to go through a full scrimmage before being cleared to return.
“It’s essential," Kerr told reporters Tuesday. "We’re not going to play him without getting a scrimmage. The whole team will need a scrimmage, given that we generally play every other day and now we have six days between games, that’s pretty unique. Everybody will need a scrimmage. But it would be irresponsible to put Steph out there in a playoff game without having scrimmage time before.”
The Warriors are slated to scrimmage Thursday and then make a final determination on Curry's status for Game 1. But all signs point to Curry arriving right on time for a Warriors team that is champing at the bit to be back in the title hunt.
