Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Doctor Reacts Strongly to Stephen Curry’s Hamstring Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated May 7, 2025 2:37 PM ET

The good news for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night was that they coasted to a road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to begin their second-round playoff series. The bad news has to do with the injury status of Stephen Curry, Golden State's superstar floor general.

After a smoldering start in Minneapolis' Target Center, Curry strained his left hamstring in the second quarter of the Warriors' eventual 99-88 win.

Curry, who had scored 13 points in 13 minutes before the injury, is expected to miss at least a week, which would rule him out until Game 4 of the series.

But according to Dr. Nirav Pandya, Curry's grade 1 hamstring strain is the best outcome for which the player, the team and its fans could have asked.

A grade 1 hamstring strain is positive news for Warriors fans and #DubNation . A grade 1 sprain = microscopic tearing which is much better than the more significant tearing that occurs with a grade 2 or 3. How he responds to treatment, the MRI specifics (location, muscles… https://t.co/omfIurr9OB
— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) May 7, 2025

Pandya, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, explained on X that Curry's strain equates to microscopic tearing of the muscle.

A more-severe grade 2 or grade 3 strain would have ruled Curry out for the weeks – and would have jeopardized the four-time NBA champion's entire playoff run.

Pandya did caution that Curry's response to treatment, as well as the specific injury location as determined by an MRI, will determine when Golden State's medical staff will clear him to return.

And in the meantime, the Warriors will have to rely even more on their elite defense to stay above water while the two-time MVP recovers.

"Our guys did a great job of moving on and getting a great win 48 hours after a Game 7 road win," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday night.

"It's an amazing group of guys. They compete. They're together. They've been the best defense in the league since the Jimmy (Butler) trade and that's what's keeping us afloat right now."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: