The Golden State Warriors have made a pair of statement wins to open up the season, besting Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers on the road on Tuesday, while withstanding a career game from Aaron Gordon
and a triple-double by Nikola Jokić in holding off the full-strength Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
That could potentially make tonight’s contest a trap game, as the Dubs are up against a Portland Trail Blazers team that is low on expectations but heavy on fight … and dealing with an emergency first-time coach. Neither team is at full strength, but in exciting news, Moses Moody has been removed entirely from the injury report, which means he’ll make his season debut tonight.
Here’s the full report:
Warriors
Out — Al Horford (left toe injury management)
Horford hasn’t played back-to-backs in quite a few years, and that’s not expected to change at any point this year. We’ll see if the Warriors always play him on the front end of the back-to-back, or if they alter it based on the schedule or the opponent.
Out — De’Anthony Melton (left ACL surgery)
The Warriors backcourt has been shy on depth these opening days, with the loss of Moody and Melton and Seth Curry not able to re-sign for a few more weeks. Moody will return tonight, but Melton is still out for the foreseeable future. He shouldn’t be gone too long, though.
Out — Alex Toohey (left knee patellofemoral pain)
I’d guess it will be a while before we see Toohey make his NBA debut. Not only is he dealing with a knee injury, but the second-round pick, who is on a two-way contract, is probably slated for Santa Cruz upon his return to health.
Probable — Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle inflammation)
It’s been a dreamy start to the season for the Warriors, and Kuminga’s evolution has been at the top of the list of things that have gone well. Unfortunately, he dealt with some injuries during training camp and, on the back end of a back-to-back, appears to be feeling it. Thankfully it looks like he’ll be playing anyway.
Blazers
Out — Damian Lillard (left Achilles tendon injury recovery)
After a few years away, Lillard returned to the Pacific Northwest this offseason, which just feels right. The Warriors probably won’t play him this year, though, as his Achilles injury will likely wipe out his entire season. But it will be nice to at least see him on Portland’s bench.
Out — Scoot Henderson (left hamstring tear)
The Blazers are desperately hoping that Henderson, entering his third season, can materialize the potential that saw him drafted third overall in 2023, one spot ahead of Amen Thompson. But it’s going to take awhile, as he should be sidelined for another month or so as he heals a hamstring tear from September.
Out — Robert Williams III (return to competition reconditioning)
I sure do miss watching Williams play. He’s such a fun player, with so much talent, but played in just 26 games through his first two seasons with Portland, and has yet to see the court this year. That’s been a theme since Williams was a late first-round pick in 2018. He’s entering his eighth NBA season and has played in just 235 games, roughly the equivalent of three full seasons.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area. Enjoy the action, everyone.
