A rivalry that began to heat up last season will hit pause as Stephen Curry sits out Tuesday’s matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco due to an ankle injury. Curry and Pelicans star Zion Williamson have faced each other just five out of a possible 17 times since Williamson was drafted first overall in 2019.
Last season, they met three times, with the Pelicans winning twice at Golden State after Curry scored 42 points in a Warriors victory in New Orleans. Williamson had 19 and 26 points in those road wins. The much-anticipated fourth consecutive duel was derailed when Curry suffered a peroneal strain in his left ankle during Sunday’s 112-104 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Curry briefly returned in the fourth quarter but had to pull out for good.
An MRI revealed no major damage, but the Warriors announced that Curry would be re-evaluated on Friday. He will miss both home games against the Pelicans, as will teammate De’Anthony Melton, who strained his lower back on Sunday and will also be re-evaluated on Friday. Last season’s NBA All-Rookie First Team selection Brandin Podziemski may replace Curry in the starting lineup.
Without Curry, the Warriors suffered their first defeat of the season after two dominant road wins. Meanwhile, the Pelicans followed a similar pattern, winning their first two games, including a victory at Portland, before falling 125-103 in the second game of a back-to-back.
New Orleans has been without new guard Dejounte Murray, who fractured his left hand in the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, and forward Trey Murphy III, sidelined with a preseason hamstring injury. Despite these setbacks, CJ McCollum (23.3 points per game) and Brandon Ingram (22.7) have kept the Pelicans competitive. Williamson has contributed 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in his two games, after missing the opener due to illness.
Second-year guard Jordan Hawkins has been a bright spot, averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.3 minutes over three games. Hawkins, part of UConn’s 2023 championship team, averaged just 7.8 points as a rookie but has shown promise early this season. He had a pair of 14-point games against Golden State last season, signaling his potential for significant impact.
