This article is part of our NBA Injury Analysis series.
The NBA playoffs resembled an infirmary the last 72 hours as three Western Conference All-Stars went down with injuries. The Warriors will be forced to play the next two weeks without their MVP as Stephen Curry suffered a right knee sprain in the team's Game 4 victory against Houston on Sunday, while the Clippers lost a pair of players Monday.
Stephen Curry
Curry's injury occurred when he slipped on a wet spot on the court that forced his left leg to extend backward and his right knee to bend forward. His right foot appeared to remain firm on the court while the resulting valgus force of the fall overloaded the inside aspect of his knee, the location of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). A MRI taken on Monday revealed a mild, Grade 1 sprain.
When a ligament is sprained, the injury is generally assigned a grade based on the amount of associated damage. A minor or Grade 1 sprain is given when partial or micro tearing of the effected ligaments has occurred. Fortunately for the Warriors, Curry's mild sprain can heal without surgical intervention, especially since the medial meniscus remained intact. Instead, Curry will begin conservative treatment to address the associated symptoms and help stimulate the body's natural healing process.
The initial recovery window of two weeks all but guarantees Curry will miss a part of the second round. However, how Curry responds to treatment will ultimately determine when he is cleared to play.
This year, there were at least
The NBA playoffs resembled an infirmary the last 72 hours as three Western Conference All-Stars went down with injuries. The Warriors will be forced to play the next two weeks without their MVP as Stephen Curry suffered a right knee sprain in the team's Game 4 victory against Houston on Sunday, while the Clippers lost a pair of players Monday.
Stephen Curry
Curry's injury occurred when he slipped on a wet spot on the court that forced his left leg to extend backward and his right knee to bend forward. His right foot appeared to remain firm on the court while the resulting valgus force of the fall overloaded the inside aspect of his knee, the location of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). A MRI taken on Monday revealed a mild, Grade 1 sprain.
When a ligament is sprained, the injury is generally assigned a grade based on the amount of associated damage. A minor or Grade 1 sprain is given when partial or micro tearing of the effected ligaments has occurred. Fortunately for the Warriors, Curry's mild sprain can heal without surgical intervention, especially since the medial meniscus remained intact. Instead, Curry will begin conservative treatment to address the associated symptoms and help stimulate the body's natural healing process.
The initial recovery window of two weeks all but guarantees Curry will miss a part of the second round. However, how Curry responds to treatment will ultimately determine when he is cleared to play.
This year, there were at least 11 MCL sprains publically diagnosed during the regular season. The list includes several notable point guards, including Washington's John Wall and Dallas' Deron Williams. Both sustained low-grade MCL sprains and missed minimal time. Williams sat out just one game while Wall played through the injury without missing any action.
However, these two appear to be exceptions as the average missed time for the other low-grade sprains was roughly 15 days. The numbers are in line with Golden State's projected two-week window. While Curry's availability remains fluid, look for him to wear a protective brace when he takes the court. Lateral movement, particularly on the defensive end, will be his biggest obstacle.
Chris Paul
South of the Bay Area, the Clippers could be without both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul left the court early in Game 4 after striking his hand on Portland guard Gerald Henderson. The resulting axial load left Paul with a broken third metacarpal, an injury that could require surgery.
The metacarpals are the bones of the hand that serve as the bridge between the carpal bones of the wrist and the bones of the fingers. The tops of the metacarpals form the knuckles. As a result, these bones are susceptible to fracturing following a number of mechanisms of injury, including a direct blow or an axial load.
Recovery time is dependent on several factors, the first being the specific bone involved. This is a small win for Paul and the Clippers as the third metacarpal, located below the middle finger, is anchored to the bones of the wrist making it largely immobile. Contrastingly, the fourth and the fifth metacarpals are mobile to allow motion at the wrist and pinkie and generally require additional time to heal.
Second, the nature of the break will shape Paul's recovery. If the broken bone fragments remain aligned, it is considered a non-displaced fracture and surgery can be avoided. If the position of the bone shifts, the break is considered displaced and surgery is often needed to ensure a proper union of the bone. Recovery following surgery often takes weeks. Seven recent cases of third metacarpal injuries in the NBA missed an average of 10 games or roughly three weeks.
Blake Griffin
With Paul unlikely to return for the next two playoff series, it will be up to the remaining healthy Clippers players to extend their postseason run. Whether Griffin is a part of that mix is unclear as he aggravated his previously injured quadriceps in the same game Paul was injured. Griffin missed 41 games recovering from a partial torn quadriceps tendon and his own metacarpal fracture, sustained in his dust up with the team's equipment manager. The quadriceps actually took longer than the hand to heal and was the main cause for Griffin's extended absence.
The question now is the seriousness of Griffin's latest injury. If he restrained the area, he will be forced to press the reset button on his previous recovery and a prolonged absence is likely. If he simply has soreness associated with the previous injury than there's a chance he's in uniform for Game 5. Even then, a limited quad would negatively impact his explosiveness and drastically alter his playing style. Coach Doc Rivers said Griffin is 50-50 at best, making it likely L.A. is without Paul and Griffin for a pivotal Game 5.
For a NBA regular season that saw an overall reduction in games missed to injury, the postseason is quickly being marred by injuries to star players. With Curry, Griffin and Paul likely to miss substantial time, an opportunity suddenly presents itself for contenders like San Antonio and Oklahoma City. Even Portland could take advantage of the situation with a chance to face both injury-riddled teams in back-to-back rounds.
