What looked like the exclamation point on an incredible overtime performance from Moses Moody turned into a horrific injury. After the 23-year-old scary collapse, it barely matters that the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 137-131.
Moody had 23 points and sank four three-pointers in the win, turning up his intensity in the extra period. Moody hit a three, threw a beautiful pass to Gary Payton II for a layup, played solid defense and with just over a minute to go, stole the ball
from Cooper Flagg. But what looked like an uncontested layup turned tragic when Moody’s left knee simply gave out as he tried to jump.
It’s hard to speculate about his specific injury, but it looked awful. The arena went silent, Steve Kerr covered his face, and Moody himself looked horrified, before he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher.
Warriors announcer Kelenna Azubuike said it reminded him of his own leg injury in 2009, when he ruptured his patella less than three minutes into a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, a game best known for Brandon Jennings hanging 55 points on the Warriors in his seventh NBA appearance. The injury and botched surgeries that followed effectively ended Azubuike’s career.
Moody is still only 23 years old despite being in his 5th NBA season, two years younger than Azubuike is. Regardless of the future, we can safely expect that Moody’s season is over. He was one of the Warriors’ best players this season, improving his scoring and rebounding, while making more than 40% of his threes. He averaged 15.9 points in February, capably stepping up his offensive contributions with Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler out.
The Warriors ended up in overtime thanks to a very nice second-half comeback and a very rough final four minutes of regulation, where the Warriors and Mavs took turns topping each other’s ridiculous turnovers. Naji Marshall duped Pat Spencer by sneaking in for a “Grand Theft Alvarado” steal, only to give the ball back a few minutes later by both traveling and double dribbling on the same play. Marshall also missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer with no Warrior within 10 feet of him.
The Warriors had eight players score in double figures despite De’Anthony Melton missing all six of his shots and committing seven turnovers. Melton ended up scoreless after missing three shots in the game’s first three minutes and basically deciding he didn’t have the range, though he still had three steals and six assists.
GPII shot 8-for-8 from the floor and scored 17 points,
Flagg scored 32 points and handed out nine assists in an impressive performance, though he may be only the second-best rookie Caucasian forward from Duke University this season. Though he hit a lot of big shots, the Warriors managed to force some turnovers late. Flagg finished with seven TOs, Marshall with 8. Center Daniel Gafford also shot 8-for-8 from the floor, Max Christie hit some big threes, and our old friend Klay Thompson sank five threes, once making Draymond Green wince after his shot fell, unhappy to be on the other side of one of those heaters.
The rookies were on fire from three-point range Monday. Will Richard was a perfect 4-for-4 from distance and LJ Cryer shot 4-for-6, crucial on a night where Gui Santos, Green, and Melton combined to go 0-for-13 behind the arc. Kristaps Porzingis gave another tantalizing glimpse at his potential in the offense, scoring 22 points, grabbing seven boards, and getting five assists, while playing 29 minutes.
There were positive moments up and down the roster Monday night, with some usual Warriors red flags: 24 turnovers, inexplicably leaving three-point shooters open to help off-ball, and mental lapses at the end of quarters.
For conspiracy theorists, the Mavericks were having an unusual amount of trouble wiping off sweat and keeping the floor dry. The end of the game really dragged because the Mavericks were sending out a three-man team to wipe floors at every stoppage of play, who seemed confused about what equipment to even use — towels, mops, and P.J. Washington’s shoe were all tried — and why they couldn’t keep the floor dry. Bob Fitzgerald couldn’t believe how much more competent the Detroit Pistons’ army-like crew of sweat fighters from earlier in the road trip.
Moody didn’t appear to slip; it looked like his knee buckled. But it’s hard not to see the desperate toweling efforts as foreshadowing the freak accident that would come minutes later.
Get well, Moses Moody. This season’s list of casualties to continues to grow. The Warriors are one win away from clinching a play-in spot. What a world.
