OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors are sounding alarms in the heat of their playoff showdown with the Houston Rockets, claiming their opponents are zeroing in on Stephen Curry’s nagging thumb injury. “I think it’s pretty obvious,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said after Game 5 on April 30, his voice sharp with frustration. The accusation has ignited tension in a series already crackling with intensity.
Curry, the Warriors’ sharpshooting cornerstone, has been nursing a thumb injury since January, when he first tweaked it in a scramble for a loose ball. He aggravated it again in the final week of the regular season, forcing him to ice it between games and lean on heavy treatment to stay on the court. Despite the pain, Curry’s been a force, averaging 26 points and six assists through the first four games of the series. But the Warriors say Houston’s defense, led by forward Dillon Brooks, is exploiting the injury with a calculated edge.
In Game 5, a 112-98 Rockets win that left the Warriors trailing 3-2, Brooks appeared to swipe at Curry’s right hand after a jump shot, sending the two-time MVP sprawling to the hardwood. Curry got up, shook it off, and waved away questions after the game. “It’s something I’m dealing with,” he said, his tone measured. “If it’s a foul, they should call it.” But his teammates and coach weren’t so restrained. Steve Kerr, the Warriors’ head coach, called the tactic “idiotic” in a post-game huddle with reporters, arguing it crosses a line from strategy to recklessness.
The Warriors’ broadcast crew picked up on it mid-game, noting Brooks’ hand seemed to hunt for Curry’s thumb on multiple plays. Referees, so far, haven’t flagged the contact as flagrant, but the chatter around the series suggests officials might tighten their whistles in Game 6. Curry’s shooting in Game 5 was off—6 for 18 from the field—but his camp insists the thumb isn’t slowing him down. Still, the Warriors are bracing for more of Houston’s hard-nosed approach when they host the Rockets on May 2 at Chase Center.
The series, now a best-of-two, has been a slugfest. Houston’s physicality, paired with their high-octane offense, has pushed Golden State to the brink. Curry, at 37, remains the linchpin for the Warriors’ hopes of clawing back. Whether the Rockets’ alleged targeting shifts the officiating or Curry’s play is anyone’s guess, but the bad blood is real.
Game 6 tips off in Oakland on May 2. The Warriors need a win to force a Game 7 in Houston.