Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first quarter during an NBA game against the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center in San Francisco, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)Sam GordonTue, February 3, 2026 at 2:08 AM UTC·4 min readThe Golden State Warriors are tasked with playing without Stephen Curry again – for now
Curry won't play Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers at Chase Center as he battles patellofemoral pain syndrome, known colloquially as runner's knee. The 17th-year superstar didn't finish Friday's loss to the Detroit Pistons and underwent imaging Saturday, revealing his right knee's condition.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Warriors practiced Monday at Chase Center and Curry didn't participate. Speaking to reporters afterward, head coach Steve Kerr indicated Curry is day-to-day upon consultation with vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini.
"As soon as Rick tells me he can play, obviously he'll play," Kerr said. "They're working together every day."
Curry said a week ago Sunday (after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves) "something flared up" the day before. Runner's knee ignites "generalized pain" around the kneecap that "almost feels like sandpaper is under the knee," per Dr. Nirav Pandya, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at UCSF.
"It's kind of this grinding grating sensation," he said. "And it's really hard because it'll hurt you when you're sitting down, when you're running. … It's kind of like an annoying achy feeling. A lot different than when people have that sharp pain that really, really jars you. This is more of, kind of, this nuisance, annoyance that makes it hard to do those things on the court."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRest is the most effective cure and a return to play, per Pandya, is predicated on range of motion and pain. That Curry turns 38 next month – he's the ninth-oldest player in the NBA – is all the more reason for additional rest
"It absolutely could" re-emerge throughout the season, Pandya said. "I think particularly given his age and how he plays. We call it runner's knee for a reason – because it's for people that run a lot. And Curry is obviously all over the court. He's moving a lot, so it's something they'll have to monitor.
"The good thing with this in general is it's not something that creeps out of nowhere," he added. "… The good news is that if he's noticing some soreness, he's starting to feel it, as he talks to the medical staff, it's something you can actually end up monitoring. … It's something that is easy to manage. The tough thing is just making sure on the front end when it really, really flares up, is not having someone come back too soon."
Curry sat out last Monday's rematch with Minnesota and returned to play Wednesday against the Utah Jazz. He had 23 points in 25 minutes before sitting down for good Friday night. The Warriors are 4-6 this year without Curry, the fulcrum of their franchise averaging 27.2 points (46.8% shooting, 39.1% 3-point shooting), 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists as an All-Star again.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGolden State has five more games before its All-Star break starts Feb. 12.
As for Tuesday versus Philadelphia, Kerr said part of Monday's practice was geared toward adjusting the approach without Curry. Uptempo pace can open shots – along with steals and offensive rebounds.
As Buddy Hield said after practice: "Cutting hard. Giving up yourself. Just playing the right way. … Slipping. Making decisive decisions. Taking care of the basketball … and playing with a style of play that a team cannot guard and being relentless on both ends (of the court). … You've got to do all that to get advantages, especially when you don't have 30 out there."
Kuminga out: Jonathan Kuminga is set to miss his fifth consecutive game Tuesday with the left knee bone bruise sustained Jan. 22 against the Dallas Mavericks. Kuminga worked out before practice Monday but didn't participate, Kerr said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"He's not ready to go live," he added.
Kuminga is averaging 12.1 points (45.4% shooting, 32.1% 3-point shooting), 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20 games. Benched for a month at Kerr's discretion, he administered a trade demand in January -- totaled 30 points in 30 minutes (and a plus-21) in his two-game return to Golden State's rotation.
This article originally published at Warriors' Steph Curry sidelined by ailing knee. ‘It's something that is easy to manage'.
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