With the playoffs looming closer, the Warriors have suffered a devastating setback at the worst possible time. It happened during tonight’s Raptors clash as Stephen Curry took a hard fall after colliding with two defenders. In visible pain, he clenched his backside and was forced to leave the game. Adding to the concerns, the team announced that Steph was done for the night – Out with pelvic contusion. But, what is this injury, and how long before Curry is back on the paintʔ

Well, pelvic contusion basically refers to a bruised pelvis. The injury occurs from direct impact or blunt force trauma to one’s pelvic bone or surrounding muscles and soft tissues. The good news is that it is not as bad as a fracture or an internal injury. As per renowned medical expert Dr. John Vasudevan, the recovery from such an injury can take anywhere between one and three weeks.

But Stephen Curry may not have to be out for that long. As per Shams Charania’s latest update, “MRI on Warriors star Stephen Curry’s pelvic area confirmed a contusion and no structural damage.” So, will he still go on to miss a handful of the remaining twelve regular season games or worse, directly return in the postseason? Well, no. Charania’s update answered that, too. “Curry is expected to miss the start of Golden State’s six-game road trip, beginning Saturday in Atlanta, as he receives treatment over the next few days.” The Dubs army may have breathed a sigh of relief at that, as Dr. John did have some alarming things to say about an injury as such.

Dr. John also revealed more details about a similar pelvic contusion injury that Team USA soccer star Christian Pulisic suffered during the 2022 World Cup campaign. He too took a similar blow to his backside after colliding with the opposing team’s goalie. The doctor said, “If you were to take a microscope and look down at some of these structures, you’ll see the normal alignment of all the components of the bone or whatever tissue has been injured will look sort of out of order or jumbled. Because that injury requires repair, that repair leads to a big, inflammatory reaction by your body, but that response, which is normal and natural, is painful.”

So, although a pelvic contusion might not be as serious as some other injuries and Steph is likely to return soon. The team itself wouldn’t want to rush his return as pushing through a bruised pelvis could affect his mobility and cause further distress. And we all know that quick change of direction and pace is a big part of Steph’s offense. But does Curry understand that, too? Kerr’s recent update got us thinking otherwise.

Kerr reveals Steph’s risky request after injury as Draymond Green reflects on ‘Scary’ Moment

As of now, Steph’s diagnosis remains limited to a pelvic contusion. However, the situation could get better or worse based on Steve Kerr’s update, “(Steph) Getting an MRI right now. He just kind of fell on his pelvic/tailbone area… Hopefully, it’s not bad but he’s getting imaging right now.” The head coach also revealed that despite the injury, Curry made a daring request that left them all bewildered.

Curry was motivated to return to the court and finish the game, “He was trying to come back. He thought he might be able to come back and we just decided not to risk anything… I have not seen him. By the time we got down there, he was already gone getting imaging.” Obviously, the Warriors did not want to take any chances because Steph is already an aging star and playing through multiple lingering injuries.

As Dub Nation awaits the MRI results, Draymond Green also revealed his thoughts on Steph’s scary fall, “He hit that ground hard you could hear it. It’s crazy. Obviously very scary moment for us, for him. Hopefully, he is good.” The Bay Area team is currently fighting to hold on to that sixth seed in the West. If Curry misses multiple weeks due to the injury, they will be at major risk of falling to the Play-in bracket, something they want to avoid at all costs. Draymond even admitted it earlier this week, “Yeah, we just wanna not be in the Play-in. Everybody gotta, we gotta figure it out.”

Of course, participating in Play-in games will further add to their fatigue and hamper their playoff push. And that’s not good for an aging team like the Warriors. Thoughts?