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Utah Jazz getting some help with injuries to Steph, Kyrie

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game on January 30, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 30: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game on January 30, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

Stephen Curry has incurred another injury and Kyrie Irving is already out, which could help the Utah Jazz in upcoming games.

In the playoff race, every loss feels like a gut punch and the Utah Jazz took a doozy from the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. After falling to the Spurs in dramatic fashion, the Jazz now find themselves just one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the No. 8 spot in the West.

Record-wise, the team’s next two opponents clearly aren’t the type to roll over and make life easier. However, when the Jazz do take on the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics, some key injuries may give them a less daunting path to victory.

First up will be the Warriors, who have been without Kevin Durant (rib cartilage fracture), Draymond Green (groin contusion) and Klay Thompson (thumb fracture) recently.

Reports are indicating that Green will return to the fold for the Jazz game. Meanwhile, Thompson’s status for Sunday is up in the air. Durant won’t play, though, and after the events of Friday night, former MVP Stephen Curry will also be out of commission.

During the third quarter of Golden State’s bout with the Atlanta Hawks, Curry suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain of the left knee. He’ll be re-evaluated in three weeks. Curry had only just returned from an ankle injury after missing multiple games.

It’s a tough break for the Warriors, who are now four games behind the Houston Rockets for the West’s No. 1 seed. On the bright side (for Utah), a game that previously held high-loss probability suddenly looks very winnable.

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Having said that, the game will be far from a gimme. We’re less than a week removed from the Jazz dropping a game to the 21-50 Hawks. The same Hawks that the Warriors managed to beat by 12 sans Durant, Green, Thompson and fourth-quarter Curry.

The Jazz also had to duke it out for a win over a Dallas Mavericks team that essentially ran with G-Leaguers down the stretch. Clearly, they’ll have to fight for every inch in their postseason pursuits.

Following the Warriors game and a few days off, the Jazz will be back in action against Boston. They’ll catch a break there in the form of Kyrie Irving‘s absence. Irving, who has missed five straight games, underwent surgery to remove a tension wire in his left knee on Saturday.

The Celtics will be without Marcus Smart (hip) and, obviously, Gordon Hayward (leg rehab) as well. Jaylen Brown has also been in the league’s concussion protocol recently. He could return as early as Sunday, though, and seems a good bet to play versus Utah.

Next: Donovan Mitchell docu-series set to drop in April

If the Jazz can capitalize on all of these injuries, it would do wonders for their playoff chances. But, again, nothing will be given away for free.

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