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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry isn’t looking for sympathy—or excuses. Despite clearly dealing with a swollen right thumb that’s visibly impacted his comfort, Curry refused to dwell on the injury after the Warriors' 131-116 Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. “I don’t even know how to answer it. Something you are dealing with and keep it moving,” Curry said bluntly when asked if the thumb was affecting him. “It’s just something I’m dealing with.”
"He's not using that as an excuse, he doesn't even wanna talk about it." @ShamsCharania on Steph Curry playing with a swollen right thumb vs. the Rockets. pic.twitter.com/bXkJtGPUhq
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 3, 2025
The two-time MVP was hit on the thumb early in the game by Houston’s Dillon Brooks after releasing a three-point shot, sending Curry into an animated appeal to the officials. No foul was called. Neither Curry nor head coach Steve Kerr explicitly accused the Rockets of targeting the injury, but the Warriors’ broadcast team didn’t hold back—highlighting repeated instances of Houston defenders swiping at Curry’s shooting hand after his release.
“They’re going to do whatever they’re allowed to do,” Kerr said postgame. “Players across the league have figured it out—once the shot’s released, you can hit a guy’s arm. It’s a loophole, and I’m confident the league will fix it.”
Stephen Curry just wants to win
Kerr went further, calling the current interpretation of the rule “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” and warning that it’s only a matter of time before a player suffers a serious hand injury due to unchecked post-shot contact.
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Curry, for his part, wasn’t interested in the drama. “If it’s a foul, they should call it,” he said simply, sidestepping any deeper commentary. He finished the night with 13 points and seven assists on 4-of-12 shooting in just 23 minutes. It marked his second straight quiet outing, after averaging 26 points through the first four games of the series.
Draymond Green didn’t hesitate to acknowledge what was happening. “I think it’s pretty obvious,” he said of the thumb targeting. “But it is what it is. I’m not going to cry to you about what the league should do.”
Dillon Brooks, predictably unbothered by the accusations, offered no apology. “If someone had an injured ankle, I’d attack that ankle every single time,” he told reporters. “Whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”
Despite the lopsided loss, the Warriors still lead the series 3-2. Game 6 shifts back to Chase Center on Friday, giving Curry a day to rest the thumb and potentially rebound. And if anyone knows how to respond in the postseason, it’s the Curry-Kerr-Green trio, with four championships and countless playoff battles between them.
“We’ve been through it all,” Green said. “We’ve got something to draw back on.” Curry may not want to talk about the thumb, but come Friday night, all eyes will be on it again.
