The Golden State Warriors passed stage one of the early gauntlet Wednesday night. Now can they do the same tomorrow?
The victory was punctuated by a pair of leftover figures of a waning dynasty. It was Stephen Curry delivering in trademark fashion, and it was Draymond Green showcasing that timeless defensive muscle.
Together, the two Warriors stars snatched the Los Angeles Clippers’ hearts by pulling off a miraculous late rally to help their team live to fight another day.
Golden State is still far from winning anything meaningful, but this triumph felt as powerful as any in the last four years.
But as one indelible basketball figure once put it: the job’s not finished.
The Warriors point their plane to Phoenix to face the Suns in another single-elimation play-in game. Here’s another one for all the marbles.
Do these senior citizens have another hurrah in them?
Golden State Warriors Release Injury Report for Friday’s Game
To put it directly, injuries have not been kind to Golden State the entire season. This was supposed to be the first full year of the Curry-Jimmy Butler duo, a tandem that would steer the franchise through another promising postseason run and make a legitimate push at some hardware.
That dream was shredded to smithereens in January. First, Butler tore his ACL. Then Curry was shutdown with runner’s knee. And then the Warriors proceeded to win just nine times over the 27 consecutive games Curry was sidelined. Good thing he came back right on time as he was key to their first play-in game, scoring 35 points en route to eliminating the Clippers.
Curry briefly checked out Wednesday night with under four minutes left in the first quarter, leaving Golden State with a jumpscare. However, the 38-year-old star shook off any knock and scored 27 points in the second half.
He will be in action Friday night in Phoenix. However, Golden State remains without Butler and Moses Moody, both ruled out of the season. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable while Quinten Post is still out nursing a right foot injury.
Porzingis has always been in day-to-day management since he arrived. He hasn’t played a lot and suiting up for 28 minutes in Inglewood in a high stakes game certainly did a toll. It was always a huge gamble when the Warriors dealt Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks for Porzingis.
Playoff Chances In Do-or-Die Game
The big news for the Warriors is that Curry will be present. The Suns will pose a more formidable foe than the Clippers and Steve Kerr’s side will go into Friday’s matchup with that in the back of their minds. That game is the final one holding them from the playoffs and a showdown with No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
That is the Warriors’ current state of things and one can only wonder how things would have been different had Curry not missed those 27 games.
Golden State slipped down to the unfavorable No. 10 seed, which is the least likely spot to make it to the playoffs.
Throw seeding out for now. The Warriors flashed their championship mettle last night. They believe they can do it again Friday.
Tip off from Mortgage Matchup Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
Warriors Announce Surprising Injury Report vs Suns Amid Steph Curry Injury Scare