SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry will miss Monday's Christmas Day NBA showdown against Cleveland because of a nagging right ankle sprain, the champions Golden State Warriors said on Tuesday (Dec 20).

Curry has helped spark the Warriors to titles over Cleveland in two of the past three NBA Finals and lost a third to the Cavaliers last year in seven games.

Averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game, the guard suffered the injury on Dec 4 at New Orleans. He was re-evaluated on Tuesday by Golden State's medical staff and found to be healing well and making good overall progress, according to a team statement.

But while the Warriors advanced Curry to modified on-court workouts in the coming days, the team also said the 29-year-old would be re-evaluated next Tuesday with more certainty expected then on a timetable for his NBA game return.

Golden State (24-6) have won nine games in a row, five of them without Curry. Only the Houston Rockets (25-4) have a better record among NBA teams this season.