Curry awaits 'Game 7 vibe' in crucial Clippers tilt

PORTLAND -- Stephen Curry aggravated his right thumb injury but was able to play through it and says he will be ready for Sunday's crucial regular-season finale against the LA Clippers.

Curry banged the thumb on his shooting hand and left with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter of a 103-86 win over the Trail Blazers in Portland. Curry underwent an X-ray on the thumb, and the results were negative, according to the team. He returned and played in the second and third quarters before sitting out the fourth with the Warriors up by as much as 27 in the quarter.

Curry dealt with a painful thumb injury back in January. He says this latest throbbing thumb issue will not hold him back from facing the Clippers in a critical game at Chase Center.

"From what I know, just an aggravation," Curry said of his thumb injury. "The same thing [as the earlier thumb injury], but hopefully it wasn't anything serious.

He added: "I just know it hurts right now, but I'll be all right."

Curry finished with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. He shot 6-for-14 overall and said the thumb issue did affect his shooting "a little bit" after he had it taped up.

"Because it was freshly ringing, new pain," Curry said. "But I don't think it'll last too long."

The Warriors will need their franchise star feeling as good as possible on Sunday. The winner between the Warriors and Clippers will secure a spot in the top-six in the Western Conference and a playoff series.

"I don't want to be too dramatic," Curry said when asked what Sunday will be like. "It should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe. You win and you control your destiny on a guaranteed playoffs series. If you lose, you roll the dice."

The Warriors can fall no lower than the seventh spot and a play-in with a loss. The Clippers can finish as fourth, fifth or as low as seventh.

Golden State (48-33) and the Clippers (49-32) last met on Dec. 27. Kawhi Leonard hadn't made his season debut yet after rehabbing his knee. And the Warriors did not have Jimmy Butler, who came in a trade before the February trade deadline. The Clippers are 3-0 this season against the Warriors.

"[It will be] like a playoff game," Warriors forward Draymond Green said. "Super intense. Two teams fighting for their playoff lives. Expected to be a very physical, high intelligent, high level basketball game.

Avoiding the play-in, in which the Warriors are 0-3 all-time in the play-in, would give Golden State a week off to rest and prepare.

Curry says he is ready to play Sunday. But a week off could do wonders for his thumb.

"I'm feeling great," Curry said of the thumb after the game. "Ready to play Game 82 on Sunday. Excited about it."