Curry injury and Smart ejection overshadow Rockets win over Warriors

Houston defeated Golden State 115-108 on Wednesday, ending the Warriors' eight-game winning streak on a night marked by Stephen Curry's early departure and Marcus Smart's ejection. Associated Press reporting said Curry did not return after leaving in the first quarter with soreness on the right side of his abdomen.

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According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, in a report carried by ABC7, Curry had been reaching toward his side before making a three-pointer with 7:22 remaining in the opening period. He signalled to the bench after the shot and later went to the locker room with medical staff. Golden State ruled him out early in the second quarter.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry left the arena during the second half for an MRI, the Associated Press reported. The team had not received the imaging results when Kerr spoke, and he expressed concern without identifying the extent of the injury. Curry entered the game averaging 30.6 points, second in the NBA, after helping Golden State recover from an 0-3 start.

Houston also lost a guard before the finish, although for a different reason. ESPN's Michael C. Wright, reporting in an article carried by ABC13, said Smart threw a punch that grazed Charles Bassey's nose late in the third quarter. The confrontation followed an Amen Thompson transition basket with 21 seconds remaining in the period. Players and officials intervened to separate the pair.

Smart headed to the locker room before officials completed their review. They assessed a flagrant foul 2, resulting in an automatic ejection. Rockets coach Ime Udoka subsequently relayed Smart's account that his previously injured elbow had been bent when the players became tangled. Bassey, meanwhile, accused Smart of dirty play earlier in the game. Those explanations were the participants' accounts of the confrontation.

Wright reported that Smart finished with six points, two rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes. The 32-year-old joined Houston in free agency over the summer and had averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals across nine appearances, including one start. This was his 13th career ejection and his first since the 2023-24 season, when he played for Memphis.