MIAMI — Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has been officially ruled out of Wednesday night’s matchup against the Miami Heat due to right ankle soreness, the team announced.
Curry first aggravated the ankle during his explosive 49-point outing last Friday against the San Antonio Spurs and felt discomfort again in the first half of Tuesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic. Speaking after the game, Curry said he wanted to monitor how the ankle responded to travel and rest overnight. Six hours before tip-off against Miami, the Warriors made the decision to hold their franchise cornerstone out. The team remains optimistic that Curry will be able to return Friday night when Golden State faces the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center.
The Warriors will also be without Jimmy Butler, who continues to manage the same lower back soreness that previously sidelined him for a game in Sacramento, and Draymond Green, who is out with an illness.
On the Heat side, reserve guard Buddy Hield has been upgraded from questionable to available after dealing with an illness of his own, while veteran center Al Horford will rest on the second night of a back-to-back. Fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga remains sidelined with knee tendinitis.
Wednesday’s contest marks the end of a brutal early-season road stretch for Golden State, which will have played a league-high 17 games in the first 29 days of the season, traveling to 12 different cities and facing an NBA-high five back-to-back sets. The Warriors’ next five games will all be played at home in San Francisco.
