Imagine missing seven of your eight leading scorers, over $190 million worth of salaries in street clothes, and still finding a way to cut a 25-point third-quarter deficit to seven against a West playoff team, before taking a top-three East team down to the final possession. That’s what the Golden State Warriors have pulled off over the last three days.
The Warriors hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday already without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Moses Moody, but things grew even bleaker by halftime when Seth Curry, Al Horford and Quinten Post all exited with injuries. They then traveled to New York to face the Knicks with only 10 available players, four of whom weren’t on the Warriors’ roster to start the season.
Undermanned Warriors showed encouraging sign of resilience
Down by 25 at the start of the third quarter, the Warriors were left with just eight healthy bodies against a fully healthy Timberwolves squad. These were the players who logged second-half minutes on Friday night: Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Kristaps Porzingis, Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton, Pat Spencer, LJ Cryer, Malevy Leons and Will Richard.
With that group, Golden State erupted for 39 third-quarter points against an above-average defense, outscoring the Wolves by nine. The Warriors even trimmed the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter, but Minnesota — powered by Anthony Edwards’ 42 points — eventually pulled away and dashed Golden State’s comeback hopes.
The Warriors had little time to dwell on it, immediately embarking on a six-game road trip that began Sunday night in New York.
Just when Dub Nation thought the injury situation had hit rock bottom, things got even grimmer. The Warriors added Porzingis and Melton to the injury report, holding them both out for Monday night’s back-to-back in Washington.
Therefore, Golden State walked into Madison Square Garden with just ten available players, including three two-way players and Omer Yurtseven, whom the Warriors signed to a 10-day contract over the weekend to fill in at center.
To everyone’s surprise, the Warriors built a 21-point lead in the second quarter after outscoring New York 35-21 in the opening frame. Post poured in a career-high 22 points, adding three rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Yet again, the opponent's star power and sheer presence of talent ended up being the difference-makers. With a chance to tie, the Warriors coughed the ball up on their final possession, and New York held on for a 110-107 victory.
The leaders in dark times
With the Warriors shorthanded and missing most of their core, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Gary Payton II have stepped into leadership roles during this challenging stretch.
Podziemski posted his third double-double of the season against Minnesota on Friday with 25 points and 10 rebounds, then backed it up with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.
Santos set a new career high with eight assists against the Timberwolves while adding 17 points, then followed it up with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against the Knicks. Payton, meanwhile, averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals across the two games despite playing just over 20 minutes per night.
At the end of the day, the Warriors still couldn't get the job done, and their playoff chances are fading by the day. They're now on a season-high five-game losing streak, with the Portland Trail Blazers ominously closing in as the 10th-seed.
Steve Kerr, meanwhile, is still chasing his 600th win as an NBA coach. He would become the 28th coach in NBA history to reach that mark and has an opportunity to do so in the fourth-fewest games, trailing only Phil Jackson (805), Pat Riley (832) and Gregg Popovich (887). Kerr will enter Monday's game at 599 wins in 942 games. Red Auerbach, the former Boston Celtics head coach, currently sits at fourth after reaching the milestone in 953 games.
Golden State will travel to the capital to face an at-peace-with-losing Wizards team that has dropped eleven straight games. Both Porzingis and Melton are expected to be back, while Steve Kerr is hopeful Draymond Green will play.
Both Al Horford (calf) and Seth Curry (adductor) underwent an MRI and will be reevaluated in a week. Stephen Curry, who hasn't played since Jan. 30, is part of the trip, though it's unlikely he'll appear in any games.