Stephen Curry will miss the Golden State Warriors' Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers, ensuring no regular-season matchup between him and LeBron James this year. The Warriors ruled Curry out to manage his ongoing recovery from a persistent right knee issue, despite initially listing him as questionable. This decision follows his recent return from a 27-game absence, where he played just 51 combined minutes over his first two games back. Curry scored 43 points in those two contests coming off the bench.

James missed the Warriors' season opener due to sciatica, meaning the two superstars have yet to face each other in the regular season. Their teams have met 27 times in the regular season and 28 times in the playoffs, with James' teams holding a 14-13 regular-season edge and Curry's playoff teams winning three of five series. The Warriors, currently holding the 10th seed, require two road play-in wins next week to secure an eighth-seed playoff berth. They aim to increase Curry's usage beyond 30 minutes this weekend ahead of their elimination game against Portland or LA.

The Lakers, without injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, remain strong contenders at 50-29, tied for the fourth seed with three games left.