Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday in Washington, with Kristaps Porzingis dropping 30 points in 26 minutes to give the franchise a much-needed jolt. The play-in picture is still very much alive. The problems, however, have not gone away.
Wednesday night brings a trip to TD Garden and a date with the Boston Celtics, one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are 45-23 and have been as healthy as any contender in the league down the stretch. Golden State is coming in pointed in the opposite direction.
The injury report tells the story before tip-off.
Warriors’ Full Injury Report vs. the Celtics
Stephen Curry, Warriors, Knicks
GettyInjured Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry will miss his 19th straight game with runner’s knee. He is expected to sit out Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons as well, with a re-evaluation scheduled for Saturday ahead of the Atlanta Hawks game. Moses Moody remains out with a wrist injury. Al Horford is sidelined with a right calf strain. Seth Curry is also out with a left adductor strain. Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Quinten Post and LJ Cryer are both questionable. Gary Payton II is probable with a left tibial contusion.
Porzingis is not on the injury report.
Boston’s list is considerably shorter. Nikola Vucevic remains out with a right ring finger fracture, now in his sixth straight absence since having surgery on March 7. The rest of the Celtics rotation is available, including Jayson Tatum, who is in his sixth game back from an Achilles rupture and averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his return.
What It Means for Golden State
Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors
GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors are walking into TD Garden with one of the most depleted rosters in the league. Without Curry, Butler, Moody, Horford, and Seth Curry all available, the burden falls on Porzingis and Brandin Podziemski to carry the offensive load against a Celtics defense that ranks first in the league in points allowed.
Boston already beat Golden State 121-110 earlier this season at Chase Center, and that was a healthier version of the Warriors. Wednesday’s matchup is a steeper ask. The Celtics are 23-10 at home.
Steve Kerr was candid about the broader situation on Tuesday, laying out what the organization is hoping to build with Porzingis beyond just this season. “I think ideally, for everybody, he would re-sign and come back and be an important player for us for many years,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game. The Warriors hold his Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer any contract value they choose.
The play-in race adds urgency to every game from here. Golden State sits ninth in the West at 33-35, with the Los Angeles Clippers dropping to 34-34 after Kawhi Leonard suffered an ankle sprain over the weekend. Leonard is questionable for Wednesday. If he misses time, the door for the Warriors to climb back into eighth widens. The Portland Trail Blazers at 33-36 are also in the mix.
Golden State’s next three games come against the Celtics, Pistons, and Hawks — all teams above .500. Winning even one of those three would represent a meaningful result.
Final Word for Golden State
Porzingis is healthy. That is the most encouraging thing the Warriors can say heading into Wednesday night.
Everything else on that injury report is a problem. Boston is healthy, rested, and playing at home. Golden State has to find a way to stay competitive without most of the pieces that define who they are.
Porzingis showed Monday what he can bring to this team. Wednesday is a different kind of test.