Curry, Irving not likely back until playoffs

THE NBA playoffs start in three weeks. Whether Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Golden State’s Stephen Curry will be ready when the postseason starts seems doubtful, at best.

The Celtics said that Irving will need at least three and possibly as many as six weeks to recover from a procedure performed to relieve irritation on his left knee on Saturday, that news coming almost simultaneously with the word that Curry has a Grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

The Warriors said Curry will be evaluated again in three weeks.

Based on those timetables, it would appear that both the Celtics and Warriors will not only be without their All-Star point guards for the rest of the regular season — but very easily could still be without them for Game 1s of their respective first-round matchups.

“It could be a lot worse,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters just before Curry’s MRI results were revealed. “You think about some of the other guys in the league that have suffered injuries this year. Gordon Hayward is the first one that comes to mind. This is not a major injury. The timing’s not ideal but we can overcome this.

“Steph can be back this year. ... Just got to hold down the fort and understand this is all part of the journey.”

In the short term, it would seem like being without Irving and Curry for the final games of the regular season won’t have a pronounced effect on either club. Boston is fairly well locked into the No. 2 spot behind Toronto in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and Golden State will almost certainly finish No. 2 in the Western Conference behind Houston.