Warriors star Stephen Curry suffers torn oblique muscle and will be sidelined at least two weeks

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry has been playing some of his best basketball at age 38, at the start of his 18th NBA season.

Now, he will have to work his way back from injury yet again.

The Golden State Warriors star is set to miss at least two weeks because of a torn oblique muscle, a frustrating interruption for the NBA's all-time 3-point leader who is on pace for another special season.

The Warriors announced Thursday that Curry would be reevaluated in two weeks for the abdominal tear. An MRI exam revealed the injury, which sometimes can take longer than two weeks to heal. Coach Steve Kerr called the concern level “high.”

Curry recently had 30 or more points in four games out of five, including a 41-point performance against Orlando on Saturday that tied him with Oscar Robertson for eighth place with 77 40-point games – and Curry’s 16 such outings after age 35 are the most in NBA history.

“It’s kind of a weird one, but it does make me super proud of the work that’s gone in, especially with some injuries and all that," Curry said. "But just the idea I can still get to a certain level, kind of feed off of that. Especially when it’s in a winning fashion like tonight where we needed all of them. I appreciate the longevity.”

Just last week, Kerr praised Curry for how he continues to perform at such a high level while pushing two decades in the NBA.

“Work ethic and good genes. He’s been blessed with a body that has held up," Kerr said. "But he’s also earned that through his strength training, his conditioning, his fitness level, is just off the charts. So remarkable at 38 to watch him still do what he does.”

Curry left early in Golden State's loss at Houston on Wednesday night that ended an eight-game winning streak. He was in obvious discomfort, grabbing at his right side above the hip.

The two-week timetable means Curry will miss at least six games, starting with a matchup at San Antonio on Friday. Golden State's backcourt is already thin: Guard Brandon Williams is out with a strained left hamstring, while Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are working back from knee injuries last season that required surgery. Second-year guard Will Richard returned Wednesday but is playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb.

Curry is scoring 27.8 points in 10 games this season, his average plummeting after he scored only three points in 5 1/2 minutes on Wednesday. He is making 45.7% of his 3-point tries so far this season; if that continues, it would be the highest percentage of his career.

The Warriors lost their first three games before the winning streak. They are 1-2 when Curry either doesn't play or has to leave early because of injury.

In a win against Miami last Thursday, Curry responded from a slow start to score 29 points. He began 1 for 8 and was 2 of 10 at halftime before coming on in the third quarter and finished 9 for 19 with six 3-pointers. He missed a fourth consecutive game with 30 or more points because he rested once the 120-100 win was well in hand.

“One of the things that makes him so good and so special is his ability to bounce back within a game where he’s struggling," Kerr said. “It doesn’t bother him at all. He knows how to get himself going. He’s got the ultimate confidence.”

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

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