Powcast Basketball Daily: Stephen Curry’s Oblique Tear Tests Golden State | 4 Stories to Know

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Golden State now knows why Stephen Curry left the Houston game, but it still has no return date. Kai Sotto logged useful minutes in Japan, while Calvin Abueva’s retirement remarks and two Lakers injuries put the focus on what comes next.

1. Curry’s MRI confirms an oblique tear

The Warriors said an MRI confirmed an oblique abdominal tear for Stephen Curry and that he will be reevaluated in two weeks. That is a medical checkpoint, not a date to return. Curry left in the first quarter in Houston, and the Rockets won 115 to 108 to end Golden State’s eight game winning streak. Alperen Şengün finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. As our earlier look at Golden State’s reliance on Curry argued, the Warriors have to find dependable offense when he cannot bend the defense for them. That test now comes against a San Antonio team that has won ten straight. The first thing to watch is who gets the ball moving when a possession stalls.

2. Sotto gives Altiri Chiba 16 productive minutes

Kai Sotto had nine points, eight rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes as Altiri Chiba beat the Yokohama B-Corsairs, 75 to 66, on Thursday at Chibagin Arena. The B.League’s official game log credits him with seven defensive rebounds and three makes on four shots from the field. Sotto is on the announced Gilas roster for the November World Cup qualifiers, but his club performance is a separate development. The useful sign is how much he contributed in limited time, especially on the defensive glass. His next club game against San-en offers another measure of his workload before national team camp. One game does not establish how many minutes Tim Cone will use him for in Malaysia.

3. Abueva talks retirement with Converge still in the playoffs

In a Facebook livestream reported by GMA’s Bea Micaller, Calvin Abueva told fans he was planning to retire from the PBA. Rebanse’s Thursday report placed the remarks alongside a ₱24,000 fine for his conduct in Converge’s quarterfinal clincher against Rain or Shine. The fine and his comments establish separate facts. Neither sets a final game or establishes a new league suspension. Powcast’s latest basketball upload raises the retirement question; the known facts come from the player’s public remarks and the reporting on the fine. The immediate basketball issue is that Converge still has its first PBA semifinal to play, against NLEX. Abueva’s rebounding and physical play can still affect that series.

4. The Lakers win seven straight, then await answers on Reaves

Luka Dončić scored 32 points in the Lakers’ 123 to 112 win over Milwaukee, their seventh straight. Austin Reaves left in the third quarter with a left heel injury. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that X rays were negative and that Reaves would undergo further imaging. Coach JJ Redick said Dončić also tweaked an ankle late in the game and did not expect a significant injury. Availability for the next game is a separate question. Reaves’ 43 points against Detroit showed what he can do when Dončić is unavailable. Phoenix is the next test of how Los Angeles handles the ball if its other lead guard has to sit.

Recent Results

  • November 12, B.League: Altiri Chiba 75, Yokohama B-Corsairs 66.
  • November 12 Philippine time, NBA: Houston 115, Golden State 108; Los Angeles Lakers 123, Milwaukee 112.
  • November 12 Philippine time, NBA: San Antonio 124, Chicago 119; Boston 98, Toronto 93. Both winners erased deficits of 22 points.

Watchlist

  • Golden State: Watch who handles late possessions against San Antonio. Curry’s reevaluation is the next medical checkpoint.
  • Los Angeles: Reaves’ further imaging and the next official injury report will clarify the rotation for Phoenix.

Important Games to Watch This Week

  • Saturday, November 14, 10:30 a.m.: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, Frost Bank Center, San Antonio. NBA Cup West Group C. November 13 in San Antonio.
  • Saturday, November 14, 1:05 p.m.: San-en NeoPhoenix at Altiri Chiba, Chibagin Arena, Chiba. B.League Premier regular season.
  • Sunday, November 15, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.: La Salle vs. Adamson, then Ateneo vs. UST, at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City. Listed UAAP elimination games with Final Four implications.
  • Monday, November 16, 5 a.m.: Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns, Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix. NBA regular season. November 15 in Phoenix.