The Golden State Warriors will be looking to book their spot in the NBA playoffs with a victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, but they may have to do it without one of their most important players.
Starting center Kristaps Porzingis has been listed as questionable due to an ankle injury, meaning the Warriors could lose one of their key contributors at the worst possible time with the season on the line.
Kristaps Porzingis is questionable to face the Suns on Friday
Porzingis picked up the injury during the first-half of Sunday's stunning 126-121 victory over the L.A. Clippers, but played through it, logged nearly 28 minutes and was one of Golden State's best as they managed to avoid elimination.
The former All-Star delivered several highlights moments that included multiple put-back dunks and a series of 3-pointers, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and two blocks on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting from the floor.
Already without starters Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to season-ending injuries, losing Porzingis would add a further blow to the teams' hopes of advancing to a first-round matchup against the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
Should Porzingis miss Friday's game, it could open up rotation minutes for Charles Bassey despite only signing with the team less than two weeks ago. The 25-year-old impressed in his five games with the franchise to close the regular season, but was a DNP on Wednesday as Steve Kerr shortened his rotation.
The good news for the Warriors is that the remainder of their eight-man rotation from the win over the Clippers is good to go. Draymond Green played through illness, along with a late knee concern, to deliver a vintage defensive performance on Kawhi Leonard. The former Defensive Player of the Year will be hoping to recover quickly enough to produce the same sort of impact against a noted foe in Dillon Brooks.
Suns could be without two key rotation players against Warriors
While Porzingis is questionable for the Warriors on one side, so too is the Suns' own injury-prone starting center in Mark Williams who is battling a foot issue. The 24-year-old has had an impressive first year with Phoenix, but has appeared in only five of the team's last 22 games.
Grayson Allen is also questionable for the Suns with a left hamstring strain which saw him miss the final game of the regular season, along with Tuesday's first Play-In game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Suns will be hoping to respond from their fourth-quarter collapse where they surrendered an 11-point lead, while the Warriors will be aiming to carry on the momentum after overcoming a 13-point deficit in the final period to defeat the Clippers.
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