Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Getty
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are heading to Denver on Sunday with a chance to get some reinforcements back. The timing could not be more important.
Golden State enters the final eight games of the regular season at 36-38, fighting for positioning in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Every body matters. Sunday’s injury report offered a small reason for optimism, and a familiar reminder of how much this roster has been through.
Before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena, here is where things stand.
The Warriors’ Injury Report vs. Nuggets
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
GettySteve Kerr, Golden State Warriors.
Three Warriors are listed as questionable on Sunday. The headliner is Seth Curry, who has missed eight consecutive games with an adductor strain. His season has been defined by absence. He missed 40 straight games from December to March with sciatica before returning briefly, and has now played just four games all year. A return on Sunday would be a welcome boost for a team running thin on options.
Quinten Post is also questionable after missing three straight games with a foot injury. Will Richard rounds out the questionable list with a heel issue.
The four ruled out are Stephen Curry (knee), Al Horford (calf), Jimmy Butler (season-ending ACL), and Moses Moody (season-ending knee injury). Stephen Curry will miss his 25th straight game and is not expected to be re-evaluated until Wednesday ahead of the home game against the San Antonio Spurs. Horford, who had been inching toward a return, will miss at least another week with his calf strain.
What the Remaining Schedule Looks Like
Getting healthy matters because what is coming is unforgiving. Golden State’s final eight games feature six opponents with winning records, five of whom have won at least 44 games. The Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and Nuggets are all on the docket. The Warriors own the ninth-toughest remaining schedule in the league.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers hold a two-game lead on Golden State and face just two winning teams the rest of the way. Eighth place is likely out of reach. The more realistic target is ninth, where the Portland Trail Blazers sit at 37-38. Portland has an easier schedule, but they just dropped a game to the Dallas Mavericks. Nothing is guaranteed.
The difference between ninth and tenth matters considerably. Ninth means two cracks at advancing through the play-in. Tenth means two wins required with no margin for error.
The Warriors’ Play-In History
Steph Curry
GettySteph Curry of the Golden State Warriors is a four-time NBA champion.
Golden State has been here before. This will be their fourth play-in appearance in the tournament’s six-year existence, and their record coming in is not encouraging. Of the seven teams to appear at least three times, the Warriors own the worst record at 1-3.
The lone win came last season, a 121-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies as the seventh seed. The losses have been painful. Knocked out by the Grizzlies in 2021, then by the Sacramento Kings in 2024. A third elimination would match the Chicago Bulls for the most play-in exits all time.
Reversing that trend almost certainly runs through Stephen Curry. The window for his return is narrowing, but it has not closed.
Final Word for the Warriors
Eight games. A brutal schedule. A roster held together with whatever is available on any given night.
Seth Curry’s potential return on Sunday is a small piece of good news in a season that has not offered much of it. The Warriors will take it.
The play-in is coming regardless. What shape this team is in when it arrives is still being determined.