The Golden State Warriors’ five-game road trip got off to a brutal start Wednesday night when Stephen Curry headed to the locker room in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets and did not return.
Curry was later ruled out for the rest of the game with right abdominal soreness, a blow that landed on top of an already thin roster. Golden State had already lost backup point guard Brandon Williams to a hamstring injury in Monday night’s dominant win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and Williams is expected to miss at least a week.
The Warriors were already navigating life without Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and the completely absent Kristaps Porzingis. Gary Payton II has also missed the last two games because of a knee issue. After Curry exited, Golden State was down to nine available main roster players.
That left even more on the shoulders of Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski, and the two young guards responded well enough to keep the Warriors in it. Golden State trimmed a 15-point Houston lead to five by halftime.
Lendeborg was the standout. In nearly 21 first-half minutes, the 11th overall pick put up 18 points, eight rebounds and two steals while shooting 7-of-14 from the field. Podziemski added nine points, three rebounds and two assists in nearly 19 minutes.
With Curry and Williams both out, two-way guard LJ Cryer also got a rare look in the rotation. The second-year guard made the most of his six first-half minutes, knocking down two of his three 3-pointers.
The bigger question now is how serious Curry’s abdominal issue turns out to be. The timing is rough for a Warriors team that has been rolling despite the injuries, entering the night on an eight-game winning streak. If Curry misses meaningful time, that momentum suddenly gets a lot harder to protect, especially with a demanding road trip just getting underway.
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Warriors Backcourt Plans Could Suddenly Revive A Familiar Reunion Talk
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Jordan Poole has also re-entered the picture in a way that would have sounded unlikely not long ago, with the former Warrior saying he would be open to a return as a free agent. If Golden State does end up with more salary cap flexibility next offseason, the front office may have more room to explore familiar paths as well as splashier ones, and that is the kind of backdrop that keeps reunion talk alive even when the roster is already rolling. [Read more 🡒]