Curry Finally Gets the Green Light: Five-on-Five Scrimmage is Happening Today

Stephen Curry is officially cleared for contact. After more than two months sidelined with a right knee injury, the Golden State Warriors star got the medical thumbs-up Tuesday to participate in a five-on-five scrimmage, marking the biggest step yet toward an actual return to games. This is huge.

The Long Road Back Starts Now

Curry first felt the pain and swelling in his right knee after a workout in Minneapolis on January 24. He tried to play through it for a few games, but when he took that shot to the knee in the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons on January 30, he was done. Haven't seen him since. That's 26 consecutive games on the sideline.

The original plan was simple: get through All-Star break and come back ready. Except his knee didn't cooperate. During All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, the on-court work didn't go well. When the team returned and got back to practice, Curry told the medical staff he wasn't ready for live action. Rick Celebrini, the Warriors' lead medical decision maker, took that seriously and basically shut everything down. Weight room only. Individual training only. No contact work. Just waiting.

Why Tuesday Changes Everything

Last week Curry tried to get cleared for a scrimmage. Celebrini wasn't having it yet. But Tuesday morning, he finally gave the OK. Now Curry gets to go up against other young players and coaches in a real five-on-five setting. Warriors coach Steve Kerr kept it real about what comes next: "Gotta see how he responds to the scrimmage and we'll take it from there."

Curry will still miss Wednesday night against the Spurs, and Kerr called him "doubtful" for Thursday's home game against the Cavaliers. But the vibe around the team shifted the moment he stepped back on the court for practice. Third-year forward Gui Santos said Curry looked sharp and was actually planning to watch the scrimmage afterward. Kerr said the gym felt different with Curry's presence, like the whole place got "bouncier" and everyone's "spirits were lifted."

The Playoff Push Gets Real

The Warriors are sitting at 36-39 right now, stuck in the 10th seed in the West after dropping 16 of their last 25 without their star. They're at the bottom of the play-in bracket, and they need him. The internal goal is to get Curry back with enough time to play a handful of games before the play-in tournament. They're going to need him to win two elimination games if they want to sneak into the eighth seed and actually make the playoffs.

Houston comes to San Francisco on Sunday night. Before that, the Warriors have this back-to-back against Spurs and Cavs, then two days off. One scrimmage at a time. But for the first time in two months, there's real momentum.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.