Left for dead by plenty of pundits over the summer, the Golden State Warriors came storming out of the gates this season, led by the somehow still otherworldly play of Steph Curry and the surprising play of rookie small forward Yaxel Lendeborg. They were riding an 8-game win streak before losing both their match-up with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night and Curry, who suffered an oblique abdominal tear just 6 minutes into that contest, never returning. Curry, who was averaging 30 points on ridiculous
efficiency in the lead up to the Houston game, is out for at least the next 2 weeks, leaving the Warriors without the engine that drives their entire offense. Golden State to their credit hung with Houston most of the night thanks to Lendeborg’s shotmaking, a focused team defensive effort, and offensive contributions from both vets and young guys alike.
Coming into this one on a 10 game winning streak, the San Antonio Spurs have been taking care of business. Facing Golden State without Curry makes them that much easier to guard, but head coach Steve Kerr’s defensive game planning, Draymond Green’s orchestration both on offense and defense, and Lendeborg’s breakout is the sort of combination that could still make life rough on their opponents. San Antonio was able to sleepwalk their way into a big deficit before their huge comeback back win against the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night in Chicago, but against the well-coached Warriors that could be a recipe for disaster.
San Antonio Spurs (10-2) vs Golden State Warriors (8-4)
November 13 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Watch: Amazon Prime | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Line: San Antonio -10.5
Spurs Injuries: Tobias Harris, calf (OUT), Devin Vassell, groin (day to day)
Warriors Injuries: Steph Curry, oblique (OUT), Jimmy Butler, ACL (OUT), Moses Moody, knee (OUT), Brandon Williams, hamstring (OUT), Gary Payton II, knee (day to day)
What to watch for
- Golden State has been notoriously small for years, but they have just a single player on the roster this season that’s taller than 6’8. That should mean open season for Victor Wembanyama, who has been on a historical tear to kick off his 4th season in the league and is coming off another huge performance in the win over Chicago. Draymond Green is still a versatile defender with an elite IQ on the defensive side of the ball, but at age 36 and in his 15th season, he is no longer the perennial DPOY-candidate he once was in his prime that could make life difficult on opposing bigs for significant stretches. Regardless though, expect him to draw a decent amount of the assignment on Wemby with help sprinkled in from Golden State’s wings. Green and Wembanyama had a notable moment between them last season at the Frost Bank Center almost exactly a year to the day.
- With Chef Curry out for the foreseeable future, the bulk of the offense could fall on the shoulders of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg has been a revelation for Golden State, averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 51% shooting from the field and 43% from 3 on solid volume. An older rookie at 24 years old, he’s proven to be adept at attacking closeouts and getting into the teeth of the defense, using his big body (6’9” with a nearly 7’4” wingspan) to go at smaller defenders in the post, and seeking out contact and either finishing through it or finding his way to the charity stripe (6 attempts a game at the line). Opposing defenses have been preoccupied with Curry’s offensive blitz to start the season and leaving Lendeborg as the #2 option, but that obviously changes with Steph out now. San Antonio has a variety of defenders they can and will send at him to see how he holds up as the focus of the defense. Should all else fail, they have the always lurking Wembanyama as the ultimate insurance policy.
- Golden State has been among the league’s most proficient 3 point shooting teams to begin this season, ranking 1st in both makes and percentage. That’s largely (and obviously) been because of Curry’s volume and consistency from distance, but it’s not just about the numbers he puts up. It’s also because of the sort of looks that his gravity is able to open up for others. Without him to warp help defenses and open up the easy catch and shoot opportunities for guys like Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski, their offensive efficiency is likely about to take a hit. That doesn’t mean that they still aren’t going to launch them though, as they showed with their 17/51 showing in the loss to the Rockets.
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