Stephen Curry Struggles with Fatigue and Back Strain as Warriors’ Seven-Game Win Streak Ends in Upset Loss to Short-Handed Nuggets
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr admitted that Stephen Curry is in need of rest after the star guard struggled in a 114-105 loss to the short-handed Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The defeat snapped Golden State’s seven-game win streak and highlighted the toll that Curry’s heavy workload has taken in recent weeks.
Curry, who was listed as questionable before the game due to a right lower back strain, finished with 20 points, seven assists, and seven turnovers. He also endured a difficult night from beyond the arc, missing 10 of his 14 three-point attempts. Despite the absence of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun, Denver managed to secure the victory, capitalizing on Golden State’s fatigue.
“Steph’s been carrying us for a month. He’s been amazing. He’s tired, so we got to get him some rest,” Kerr said after Curry logged 35 minutes. “You can see it. He doesn’t have his energy right now.”
Curry acknowledged that his back first started bothering him during pregame warmups last Thursday, prior to the Warriors’ win over the Sacramento Kings. That night, he became the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career three-pointers. Entering Monday’s game, he was averaging 26.6 points and 6.6 assists in March, playing 33.5 minutes per game.
“I feel fine,” Curry said when asked about his fatigue. “Obviously, I didn’t play great at all, so everybody including Coach is going to try to figure out why. Mostly the turnovers, dumb plays all night, but I had a really good run. You expect to have a level of consistency, so when it doesn’t happen, it becomes a question.”
Teammate Jimmy Butler, who has now lost just twice in 16 games with the Warriors, stressed the importance of supporting Curry.
“It’s OK to be tired, and that’s on myself and on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him,” Butler said. “Everybody wants to think that he is superhuman. He is not. He is our leader, and we must protect him at all times.”
With a back-to-back game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Kerr said the team will consult with Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ vice president of player health and performance, to determine Curry’s status.
“He’s exhausted right now,” Kerr said. “So we’ve got to absolutely consider giving him a night and getting him rejuvenated for the sake of him and the remainder of our games.”
The Warriors will now have to decide whether to prioritize short-term results or Curry’s long-term health as they continue their push in the Western Conference.
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