Al Horford’s uneven start with the Warriors hit another snag this weekend when the former Celtics center was sidelined with a back injury. The Warriors announced that Horford would miss at least the next three games due to a right sciatic nerve irritation. The 39-year-old will sit out Monday’s game against Utah, Wednesday’s showdown with the Rockets and Saturday’s game against the Pelicans.
The injury is the same ailment that LeBron James suffered from to begin the season. James missed Lakers training camp and the first 14 games of the season with the condition that can vary in severity. James has returned to the Lakers lineup for two games in the past week.
The injury adds to a tough month for Horford in Golden State during his 19th NBA season. The 6-foot-9 big man has also missed time with a foot injury and has appeared in 12 games for the Warriors, shooting a career-low 34.3 percent from the field over 21.8 minutes per game.
The Warriors have brought Horford off the bench to help keep his minutes down along with wear and tear, but the veteran’s production has been down across the board as he gets acclimated to his new home.
The timing for the Warriors to lose Horford for an extended stretch is not ideal either amid a three-game losing streak that has dropped the team to 9-9. Jonathan Kuminga also remains sidelined with a knee injury, which will put pressure on reserve bigs Quinton Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis to soak up minutes in Horford’s absence.
Horford has sat out one section of back-to-back games for the past several seasons in Boston, but he’s had good durability otherwise, appearing in at least 60 games or more for the last four seasons. The center signed a two-year deal with the Warriors this offseason for the taxpayer mid-level exception with a player option in year two.
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