Every evening before game day, NBA teams are required to file their injury reports with the league, and while those reports are subject to change, they rarely do, actually, change. On Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday's Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals in Minnesota, the Warriors made their daily filing.
As things stand, after Monday's loss in Game 4, the Warriors trail, 3-1.
The NBA announced the Warriors' report on TuesdayWhile there is one name that is, depressingly for Golden State, still on the list, one name was removed.
No longer on the report is Gary Payton and the injured left thumb that has caused him to land on the injury report throughout the postseason. Payton has appeared in 10 of the Warriors' 11 postseason games thus far, even as the thumb has been a lingering issue. But, apparently, it is not a lingering issue anymore.
Apr 6, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before the start of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before the start of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Chase Center.
Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Firmly planted on the injury list, though, is guard Stephen Curry, the Warriors star whose injured hamstring has derailed Golden State's postseason run. Curry played 13 minutes in Game 1 before he hurt the hamstring and left the game, and he has not been back since--though he is slated to be re-evaluated tomorrow.
Technically, the Warriors could bring a last-minute change to the injury report and get Curry back in uniform. But that's a longshot.
The best bet for the Warriors to see Curry again in this series is to win Game 5 (without Curry, who will at least be in the building) and give themselves a chance to play again back in San Francisco in Game 6. Because of the franchise debut of the Valkyries, the Bay Area's new WNBA team, the Warriors and Timberwolves would not play Game 6 until Sunday, allowing Curry plenty more rest.
But winning Game 5, on the road, will be no easy feat. Veteran big man Kevon Looney, though, said the Warriors still have not hit their peak.
"We feel like we can play a lot better," he said. "We feel like we got a good game to win a game. We've just got to execute it. We ... did it for 36 minutes, 40 minutes; we've got to do it do it for a whole 48. If we do that we can win.
"We have belief, we have faith. We'll take it possession by possession, quarter by quarter. We've got to put together a full game, not just 40 good minutes of basketball."
Tipoff from the Target Center will come Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.