The Golden State Warriors suffered another close defeat Friday night and now confront fresh questions about Stephen Curry’s availability heading into a quick turnaround.
Golden State lost 111-108 to the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center, falling to 0-2 to open the 2026-27 season. It marked the franchise’s first 0-2 start since the 2020-21 campaign.
The Warriors appeared in control late after stretching a lead to 103-92 in the fourth quarter. Memphis answered with a decisive 17-0 run, seizing the advantage and holding on for the win.
Cameron Boozer paced the Grizzlies with 25 points and 13 rebounds, including a go-ahead jumper with 20 seconds remaining. Ty Jerome added a game-high 28 points for Memphis, which improved to 2-0.
Curry led Golden State with 24 points. He shot five of 15 from the field, including three of 10 from three-point range, while converting all 11 of his free-throw attempts. Curry also recorded four assists and two rebounds in nearly 30 minutes.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in his home debut. Brandin Podziemski matched Lendeborg with 18 points in his first regular-season appearance after missing the opener.
Golden State opened the year with a 127-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Curry scored 23 points in 21 minutes in that contest as the team managed his workload following an earlier ankle issue.
After Friday’s loss, Curry expressed uncertainty about playing Saturday against the Phoenix Suns in the second half of a back-to-back.
“Probably not. But I’ll talk to the (medical) staff,” Curry said.
The 38-year-old four-time champion played just 43 games last season because of injury. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has indicated the team will carefully manage Curry’s minutes throughout the year.
Brandin Podziemski, dealing with back management, said he will not play Saturday. The fourth-year guard, who appeared in all 82 games last season, returned to action Friday after missing the Lakers game with lower back soreness.
Losing both Curry and Podziemski would leave the Warriors without two of their primary ball-handlers and scorers against Phoenix. Golden State would need increased production from the rest of the roster, including Lendeborg and veterans such as Draymond Green.
The Warriors are already navigating other absences. Jimmy Butler continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered last season, while Kristaps Porzingis remains out with a health issue. Charles Bassey is also sidelined with a knee problem.
Golden State must travel to Phoenix for Saturday’s tip-off. A third straight loss would drop the team to 0-3 and heighten scrutiny on late-game execution after two collapses to open the schedule.
The Warriors showed the ability to build leads in Friday’s contest but could not close. Those issues become more pronounced when key contributors sit out.
