Sports

Curry, Harden return after early Game 2 injuries

May 1, 2019
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  • Nick Friedell
    ESPN Staff Writer
      Nick Friedell is the Chicago Bulls beat reporter for ESPN Chicago. Friedell is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and joined ESPNChicago.com for its launch in April 2009.
  • Tim MacMahon
    ESPN Staff Writer
    • Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
    • Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
    • Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM

OAKLAND, Calif. — Houston Rockets star James Harden and Golden State Warriors counterpart Stephen Curry both departed Tuesday night’s Game 2 in the first quarter with injuries before eventually returning.

 

Harden got hit inadvertently across both eyes by Golden State’s Draymond Green in the opening quarter of what would turn into a 115-109 Warriors win.

Harden returned to the Rockets’ bench during a timeout with 9:38 remaining in the second quarter with what the team called a laceration of the left eyelid. He reentered the game with 7:09 to play and finished with 29 points to lead the Rockets in scoring.

Green appeared to apologize while Harden was walking across the court to the Houston locker room with a towel covering the left side of his face. The Rockets called timeout with 6:27 remaining to allow Harden to get medical treatment.

The contact, which did not result in a foul call, occurred while Harden was attempting to rebound his own miss after driving to the basket. Green hit Harden with his left hand while going after the ball.

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Steph Curry goes back to the locker room in the 1st quarter with an injury to the middle finger on his left hand.

Harden remained facedown in the lane for the entire ensuing possession for the Warriors, who took advantage of the 5-on-4 situation by getting Kevin Durant a good look at a corner 3-pointer that he swished.

Curry tried to tip the ball away from Rockets center Clint Capela and immediately grabbed his left middle finger with 8:31 left in the opening quarter. He initially headed to the Warriors bench, but after a few seconds, he went to the locker room to get the finger checked out.

Curry eventually checked back into the game with just over 5 minutes to play in the first quarter, with his fingers taped up and the Oracle Arena crowd cheering loudly when he stepped back onto the court. The team ruled it a dislocation of his left middle finger.

He finished with 20 points as Golden State took a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. Game 3 is Saturday in Houston.

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