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The Golden State Warriors lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs to the Sacramento Kings, and they may have suffered another loss along with it.
Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Warriors guard Jordan Poole “rolled his left ankle” going to the hoop against the Kings, and is questionable for Game 2. Poole was seen icing his ankle after the game.
The 23-year-old guard went 4-for-10 from the floor in the Dubs’ Game 1 loss to the Kings, finishing with 17 points, three assists and a rebound in 22 minutes off the bench. Poole, who was one of just 10 players in the NBA this year to play in all 82 games (43 starts), finished his 2022-23 campaign averaging a career-high 20.4 points, also dishing out a career-best 4.5 assists per contest (stats via Basketball Reference).
Losing Poole Now Would Be Big Blow for Warriors
Golden State just got forward Andrew Wiggins back for the series, so losing Poole now would be another blow. Wiggins, who hadn’t played since February 13 after taking time off to deal with a personal matter, played 28 minutes in the team’s Game 1 loss, going 7-of-16 from the floor for 17 points while blocking four shots and hauling in three boards.
With forward Andre Iguodala and guard Ryan Rollins out for the series and likely longer, the Dubs can’t afford to lose more key contributors with so much on the line.
“It’s almost like controlled chaos,” Poole said about playing in the postseason. “If anything, you feel it more than you see it. … Honestly, it’s a good feeling; if anything, you’re excited. Those who like to play under the bright lights thrive in situations like that and look forward to ’em.”
Those lights could become to glaring if the Dubs can’t walk out of Sacramento with a win Monday night.
Warriors Need to Steal Game 2 on the Road
Golden State hit just 16 of its 50 3-point attempts (32%) in the Game 1 loss to Sacramento, and that number is likely going to improve as the series progresses. The Warriors scored 20-or-more 3-pointers in 19 different games this past season, which was a new NBA record.
“Our team always walks a fine line,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports. “We want our guys aggressive and loose and free. We want them to be uninhibited out there. But at the same time, we want them to recognize that we can go from good to great. We had a lot of good shots. We can get great shots. And we know that. We have to make them guard for longer stretches.”
The Warriors were also out-rebounded, 50-41, and Kerr challenged his team to be more aggressive in the paint moving forward. “When you watch the tape, it’s just the shot goes up and we’re looking at the ball,” Kerr said. “Can’t do that. When the shot goes up, you have to find the free man and go hit him. Go box him out.”
Since 2012, the Dubs have won at least one road game in every playoff series they’ve appeared in, so don’t count them out by any means. Hopefully Poole’s injury is nothing too serious or nagging, because the team could sure use him.
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