The Warriors will be without Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night in Minneapolis. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. PT and you can catch the action on 95.7 The Game.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater shared the news from Warriors coach Steve Kerr Sunday morning. Kerr told reporters that Curry has already flown back to the Bay Area to get treatment on his sore right hand, which he injured on an awkward fall in Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
Curry discussed the injury Friday night, admitting he had some flashbacks to his left hand injury that caused him to miss four months during the 2019-20 season.
“Anything that involves the hand, especially the right one, you get a little concerned,” Curry said Friday. “But the feeling came back, the strength came back. It hurts but I’ll be all right. … I have some PTSD from two years ago when I landed [and broke it]. Felt kinda the same, but we’ll get it looked at and figured out. Should be all right.”
Green hasn’t played since tweaking his calf during pregame warmups on Klay Day, last week before the Warriors hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. Earlier this week, Kerr said Green was progressing well but that it didn’t make sense for him to fly out for a single road game in Minnesota.
Payton exited Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks with lower back tightness and also missed Friday’s contest. His defense will be missed against Minnesota's talented perimeter players like Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
Without Curry and Green, Klay Thompson could have a starring role in Sunday’s offensive attack. Klay’s minutes are also expected to ramp up a bit from the 20-minute limit he’s been playing with through his first three games.
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Per Slater, Thompson will start alongside Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter Jr. and Kevon Looney Sunday night. Following Friday's win, when he scored 22 points as a starter, Poole acknowledged there is an adjustment period happening as Klay gets re-integrated. Poole and Wiggins will likely have to be the main facilitators of the offense. Andre Iguodala wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report, so his passing will also be key.
After his career night Friday in Chicago, rookie Jonathan Kuminga could also be in line for extended run with three rotation players out Sunday. His physicality could be key against Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 24.9 points and 9.3 rebounds this year. The versatile Kuminga could also find himself matched up against explosive Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.
Two-way players Moses Moody and Quinndary Weatherspoon are unavailable Sunday, as they are on G League assignment. The Warriors will dress 10 players Sunday night, including Nemanja Bjelica, Chris Chiozza and Damion Lee off the bench.
