The Golden State Warriors finally broke their five-game losing streak on Friday, with Jonathan Kuminga's career-high 33 points leading the way in a 99-93 victory over the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
There are still concerns for the Warriors, and perhaps none more so than lingering injury issues for star duo Stephen Curry and Draymond. Both missed Thursday's game as the hosts gritted their way to a low-scoring, defensive-minded win.
Green also missed Tuesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets due to a calf injury, while Curry continues to manage his knee concern that also saw him absent from last week's loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Steve Kerr has moved to ease concerns on Warriors duo Stephen Curry and Draymond Green
Just months till their 37 and 35th birthdays respectively, any nagging injury for Curry and Green sends some anxiety through Warrior fans. With six trips to the NBA Finals under their belts, the workload placed upon the storied duo has been significant throughout their careers.
Golden State also remain heavily reliant on Curry and Green, likely to an extent that both the franchise and fans would be disappointed with at times. The lack of another consistent 20+ point scorer to support Curry has been an ongoing issue, while Green continues to be just as important to the Warrior defense than his long-term teammate is to the offense.
Head coach Steve Kerr did move to ease growing concerns prior to Thursday's game, suggesting that both Curry and Green could each still play in Friday's second night of a back-to-back against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Steve Kerr said the plan is for Steph Curry to play tomorrow vs Timberwolves and reiterated it is “possible” Draymond Green also plays.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 6, 2024
The Warriors had earlier announced that an MRI on Green's calf had come back negative, raising optimism that the 4x All-Star won't miss too much time beyond his current two-game absence. Green had led Golden State to the league's fourth-ranked defense through the first 15 games, but they slipped to 20th during the five-game slide.
The challenges keep coming for the Warriors who've just begun a gruelling December schedule. Friday's matchup with the Timberwolves will be the first of three over the next 15 days, with last season's Western Conference finalists starting to find some form after a horrid start.
Minnesota had lost seven of nine games but have since won three in a row, including a blowout 108-80 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Timberwolves have won each of the past four games against the Warriors by an average of just four points, but are a vastly different looking team following the blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks and returned them Julius Randle and former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo.
The Warriors are yet to submit their injury report for Friday's game at the time of publication.