NBA: Stephen Curry out until playoffs; MRI reveals sprained ligament

Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have played just 11 minutes together this season

Stephen Curry is expected to be sidelined at least until the start of the NBA Playoffs in mid-April after sustaining a sprained ligament in his left foot. The Golden State Warriors star suffered the injury during the Dubs' 110-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

The three-time NBA champion picked up the knock while going for a loose ball on the sidelines. Celtics guard Marcus Smart dove in for the same loose ball and landed on Curry's foot, which forced him to leave the game late into the second quarter.

Steph Curry did not return to the game after an apparent injury on this play.

Steve Kerr seemed unhappy with Marcus Smart. pic.twitter.com/MyD0ppVQtY
— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2022

Curry underwent an MRI after the game, and in what was a big relief for the Warriors, there was no sign of a fracture or any major ligament damage, as per The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Warriors are said to be conferring with Dr. Richard Ferkel, a renowned foot specialist, on the injury.

ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski along with Ramona Shelburne reported that Curry will return by the time the Western Conference playoffs get underway in April. The Warriors are currently the third seeds in the west, but could drop further without their reigning scoring champion.

Steve Kerr was not happy with Smart for his lunge, and deemed it "dangerous" on his part. The Warriors head coach could be seen giving the Celtics guard a piece of his mind on the touchline, but revealed later that they had cleared the air.

Stephen Curry celebrates after breaking Ray Allen’s all-time three-pointer record at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA via AFP

Smart, for his part, made it clear that he had no intention of injuring Curry, and that he simply dove in for the ball to make a play. The Celtics star got the backing of his head coach and teammate Jaylen Brown, who feel Smart was simply playing his game and trying to win the ball back.

"We just kept playing," Brown said when asked about the same play, as quoted on Yahoo Sports. "We looked at the play...we didn't think it was dirty. It was just that's what Smart does — first to the floor. You know what I mean?"

"It's basketball. And it's unfortunate that Steph got hurt; it was unintentional, but that's what Marcus does — he's the first to the floor every time. Both teams know that, so I don't know what the controversy is about."