Curry unlikely to play Saturday in Game 3

Stephen Curry gives a teammate some instructions from the bench in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs at Oracle Arena in Oakland , Calif., on Monday, April 25, 2016., Calif., on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. less Stephen Curry gives a teammate some instructions from the bench in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Curry unlikely to play Saturday in Game 3 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

And so the Curry Watch continues.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry did drills on an adjacent court Thursday while his teammates went through practice. Head coach Steve Kerr said Curry probably will not play Saturday against the Trail Blazers in Portland.

Kerr and team trainers want Curry to participate in practice, including at least a three-on-three scrimmage, before he returns to game action. This scrimmage might happen in the next few days, if all goes well, so it’s possible Curry could play in Game 4 on Monday night.

Still, his all-but-certain absence Saturday means it’s time, again, for Warriors fans to appreciate Shaun Livingston. He’s in line to make his sixth start of the playoffs when his team, already leading 2-0, meets Portland in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

“We’d be dead without him,” Kerr said.

The Warriors have won six of their seven postseason games. Curry has played only 38 of a possible 336 minutes, and not at all since he sprained his right knee on the final play of the first half April 24 in Game 4 of the first-round series against Houston.

Livingston brings a polar-opposite style — 4 inches taller than Curry and without similar lateral quickness or snazzy ballhandling skills. Curry does his best work away from the basket; Livingston prospers on the low post.

Or put it this way: Curry has taken 3,590 three-point shots in his seven-year NBA career. Livingston, in 11 seasons in the league, has attempted 63.

But he’s steering the ship with grace and efficiency. Livingston has averaged 14.8 points and 4.4 assists in his five starts. Most important, the Warriors have won four of those games.

“Honestly, if you lose the MVP, you better have somebody capable to come in,” Kerr said. “Shaun is obviously more than just capable. He’s a great player in his own right.”

The Warriors looked lost at times without Curry on Tuesday night. Their offense grew stagnant as they fell behind 87-76 after three quarters.

But they rallied in the fourth quarter for a stirring victory, and Livingston was right in the mix. He re-entered the game with 6:07 remaining and the score tied 91-91. He had six points and two assists down the stretch as the Warriors pulled away.

He knows he won’t score 30 points a game, like Curry, but Livingston is trying to look toward the basket more often in his temporary role as a starter.

“We obviously don’t have the MVP out there, so my role is to be just a little bit more aggressive with my offensive game,” he said. “I’m trying to get guys involved but also keep attacking.…

“It’s a different game when Steph’s not out there. We don’t have the same spacing or the same shooting, or the same playmaking to a degree. So we have to rely on each other more, move the ball, just trust each other.”

As for Curry, he previously sparked the chatter about possibly returning Saturday. Asked during a televised interview Sunday about his chances of returning for Game 3, he said, “To me, they’re pretty good.”

Not good enough, as it turns out.

Kerr said Curry is making steady progress in his recovery from a sprained medial collateral ligament, but wasn’t ready to join his teammates on the court Thursday. The Warriors will practice in Oakland again Friday before traveling to Portland.

“The good thing is, Steph’s gotten better and better each day with his rehab,” Kerr said. “Everything has gone very smoothly. He hasn’t had any setbacks.”

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick

Warriors vs. Blazers

Warriors lead series 2-0

Game 1: Warriors 118, Blazers 106

Game 2: Warriors 110, Blazers 99

Saturday: at Portland, 5:30 p.m., Channel: 7 Channel: 10

Monday: at Portland, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Wednesday: at Oracle Arena, TBD, TNT*

May 13: at Portland, TBD, ESPN*

May 16: at Oracle Arena, TBD TNT*