Steph Curry playing with minutes restriction due to quad strain

The Golden State Warriors only tasked point guard Steph Curry with playing 30 minutes on Sunday night against the Phoenix Suns.

While that may have appeared to be related to the score - while the Warriors won by just six (113-107), they entered the fourth quarter with an appreciable 16-point edge - there is apparently more to the story.

Before the game, coach Mark Jackson revealed that Curry is on a minutes restriction due to a "minor" strain of his right quadriceps. Curry reportedly underwent an MRI on Saturday after feeling a strain Wednesday that stiffened during Friday's game against Atlanta.

Jackson wouldn't provide specifics as to the minutes limit, saying instead "we'll play it by ear game to game."

On the season, Curry is averaging 36.8 minutes and ranks 13th in the NBA in total minutes played with 2,243. Over the past seven games, however, his workload has decreased to 30.9 minutes, so it seems pulling back on his playing time may have been a consideration even before the injury.

Curry is averaging 23.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals in 61 games, posting a career-best player efficiency rating of 23.2 that ranks ninth in the NBA and tops among point guards.

While the backup one has been an issue all year for the Warriors, the acquisition of Steve Blake should allow Jackson to more comfortably reel in Curry's workload.