Brandin Podziemski's Career Night Overshadowed by Curry's Ankle Scare

Warriors guard Podziemski finally reaches 30-point milestone, but Curry's ankle tweak raises concerns ahead of Play-In game

Apr. 11, 2026 at 2:36pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, angular shapes and colors, capturing the energy and drama of a basketball game through a cubist lens.Curry's ankle scare and Podziemski's career night collide in a cubist deconstruction of the Warriors' regular-season finale.Today in Sacramento

In the Warriors' 124-118 loss to the Kings, 23-year-old guard Brandin Podziemski scored a career-high 30 points, finally reaching the milestone that had eluded him in his first three NBA seasons. However, the story was overshadowed by a scare when Stephen Curry appeared to tweak his ankle in the first quarter, though he was able to return to the game.

Why it matters

Curry's health is crucial for the Warriors as they prepare for the Play-In tournament, where they will face the Clippers. Podziemski's breakout performance provides a bright spot, but the team's focus will be on ensuring Curry is fully healthy and ready to lead them in the postseason push.

The details

Curry said he was hoping to play his "normal minutes" of 30-32 in the regular-season finale against the Clippers on Sunday to find his rhythm for the upcoming Play-In game. He believes the ankle injury is not serious, and he will be ready to go. Meanwhile, Podziemski was thrilled to finally reach the 30-point milestone, which his teammates had been teasing him about all season.

  • Curry tweaked his ankle in the first quarter of Friday's game against the Kings.
  • The Warriors will face the Clippers in the Play-In tournament on Wednesday.

The players

Stephen Curry

A 38-year-old star guard for the Golden State Warriors, who has been dealing with a runner's knee injury and is looking to find his rhythm ahead of the Play-In tournament.

Brandin Podziemski

A 23-year-old guard for the Golden State Warriors, who scored a career-high 30 points in Friday's game against the Kings, finally reaching a milestone that had eluded him in his first three NBA seasons.

Steve Kerr

The head coach of the Golden State Warriors, who was concerned about Curry's ankle injury and plans to play him his normal minutes in the regular-season finale to prepare for the Play-In game.

Rick Celebrini

The Warriors' VP of player health and performance, who evaluated Curry's ankle injury on the bench during the game.

@currysnotafraud

A Twitter user who had vowed not to tweet again until Podziemski scored 30 points, a wish that came true on Friday night.

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What they’re saying

“I told him we were gonna treat him like Devin Booker when he scored 70 in Boston and they lost. We'll give him the sign and all that. I know he's been searching for it. Everybody knew it too, so it was fun to see him get it, and the way he got it.”

— Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors guard

“It would have been bad on both ends. Pizza and the account can be activated now.”

— Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors guard

What’s next

Curry will play his normal minutes of 30-32 in the regular-season finale against the Clippers on Sunday, as the Warriors prepare for the Play-In tournament. The team is hopeful Curry will be fully healthy and ready to lead them in the win-or-go-home setting of the Play-In game on Wednesday.

The takeaway

While Podziemski's career night was a bright spot, the primary concern for the Warriors is ensuring Curry's ankle injury is not serious and that he is fully healthy for the upcoming Play-In tournament. The team's postseason hopes rest heavily on Curry's ability to lead them, and they will be closely monitoring his recovery in the coming days.