The NBA injury report heading into Friday has updates for Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Hassan Whiteside, Emmanuel Mudiay, Joe Harris and D'Angelo Russell. Curry is dealing with a shin injury and could play on Friday night, while Griffin remains out with a quad issue for the Clippers.
Curry suffered an injury to his shin last month and aggravated the injury against the Lakers earlier in the week. Curry reportedly will not be 100 percent for at least a month, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, but the guard said that he will not be sitting out for an extended period of time. Curry may not miss much time at all, as the Chronicle reports that he is probable to play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Curry is likely going to wear a shin pad for a while until the injury heals up.
Derrick Rose has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but this week he was able to play on Tuesday and also started for the Bulls on Thursday night. Rose was seen doing some work on a stationary bike during the game against the Celtics, but said that he is "fine" and that the hamstring is not bothering him. Rose finished with 18 points in the game against the Celtics and the hamstring should only continue to get better unless he suffers a setback.
Kobe Bryant returned on Thursday after dealing with a shoulder injury for the Lakers and he had a strong game against the Kings with 28 points. D'Angelo Russell and Bryant sat out earlier in the week, but both players were able to return on Thursday. Russell suffered an ankle injury in the game on Thursday, but according to the Los Angeles Daily News, x-rays were negative on the right ankle. Mark Medina reports that the injury is not considered serious, but that Russell was limping heading to the team bus after the game. Russell scored a career high 27 points in the game and was diagnosed with a "moderate ankle sprain."
Kevin Durant was able to return for the Thunder after dealing with a toe injury, scoring 26 points against the Grizzlies. Durant has played in 29 games this season after being limited to just 27 last year while dealing with a foot injury. Durant is averaging 26 points per game and he said after the matchup with Memphis that the toe has not been bothering him anymore.
Griffin is dealing with a quad injury and remains out for the Clippers, but NBA.com reports that Griffin will see a doctor next week and has been making progress. Griffin could return at some point this month for the Clippers. Hassan Whiteside has been dealing with some knee soreness and the issue looked like it affected him against the Knicks on Wednesday. Whiteside's injury is not considered serious, but the team could hold him out for a game or two moving forward. Joe Harris is expected to have surgery for the Cavaliers on his foot, but ESPN Cleveland reports that Harris will have a second opinion before undergoing the procedure.
