Dub Hub: Steph Curry suffers ankle injury late in loss vs. Bulls

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, March 8th.

Warriors News:

Steph Curry leaves game late in the fourth quarter due to ankle injury

Steve Kerr had no update on Steph Curry’s ankle injury following Thursday’s game

Warriors talking like they expect Steph Curry to miss time with ankle sprain | The Athletic

Jackson-Davis said he anticipated swelling but didn’t think he’d miss time. The issue, he felt, was minor.

That wasn’t the messaging about Curry. Klay Thompson strode to the podium and talked like a player expecting his team to weather the next stretch of games without its superstar.

“He had his ankle wrap on,” Thompson said. “Icing his ankle. I know we’re going to miss him … if he does have time off. We’ve been in this position before where he has had time off and we have to do it collectively. I know he’ll be ready to go when he does come back.”

Draymond Green spent some postgame time with Curry.

“Spirits are high,” Green said. “We’ll see. Think he may get an MRI.”

Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski explains why he missed game-tying layup vs. Bulls | NBC Sports Bay Area

“In the NBA you have to,” Podziemski said. “You look at it, obviously a whole bunch of things contribute to a win or loss, and it’s not just one moment. I know that. I’m just going to look back at what I could have done better throughout the whole course of the game, not just in that moment. I’ll improve on it and be ready for Saturday.

“For guys that take those kind of shots, it’s all about how you bounce back. For me (that) is just going out there and hooping and playing well Saturday, just showing what you’re about.”

Klay Thompson praises the energy of the Warriors’ young players

Draymond Green addresses his infamous trash talk with Paul Pierce

NBA News:

Lowe: Boston’s trump card, the Wemby era and why the Wolves can’t win without KAT | ESPN

As Boston coalesced, the more interesting night-to-night question became: Where in the world is Porzingis? A lot of the challenges the Celtics present boil to this: They can put their center wherever they want on defense, but there is no safe place for yours — no viable assignment other than chasing Porzingis around pick-and-pop 3s and hoping for the best.

Imagine being, say, the Dallas Mavericks preparing for last Friday’s game. Would Porzingis defend Dereck Lively II? Eh. Too pedestrian. Boston could stick Porzingis somewhere else where he could roam, assign a wing to Lively and switch Luka Doncic-Lively pick-and-rolls. It landed on this template two seasons ago with Robert Williams III and immediately transformed into an elite defense.

But where would Porzingis be? Maybe on Josh Green, a low-usage corner shooter? The answer was P.J. Washington, shooting 32% from deep. When the Mavs countered by having Washington screen for Doncic, they discovered Boston was fine with Washington jacking semi-contested pick-and-pop 3s. (Boston allows the most above-the-break 3s and seventh-fewest corner 3s.) If Washington sliced to the rim, he rolled into Lively’s space — cluttering the paint.

Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama to miss the next two games due to an ankle injury

Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards soars for game-winning block against the Pacers

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Player grades: Warriors vs. Bulls

Chris Paul

24 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 6-for-8 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 84.5% TS, -15

As with TJD, the bench unit not excelling was not really CP3’s fault. And, like TJD, it wasn’t Paul’s best defensive effort, but he was absolutely brilliant running the offense.

Grade: B+

Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Warriors stumble against red-hot Bulls

If you subscribe to the notion that three-point shooting is mostly random variance, and teams aren’t particularly good or bad at defending the three-point line, then you can chalk this game up to the basketball gods and goddesses shrugging, cracking a few beers, and forgetting about the game. The Bulls, 23rd in the NBA in three-point percentage, shot a blistering 16-for-36 (44.4%). The Dubs, who sport the seventh-best three-point mark in the association, shot just 11-for-42 (26.2%). And that was the game.

A tweet to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.