SAN FRANCISCO — Here’s the positive postgame injury news for the Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry, who turned his left ankle on a block in the final 90 seconds of their 122-114 win over the Wizards on Saturday night, indicated it wasn’t serious. After finishing up icing it, Curry gave the briefest of locker room comments.
“Feels great,” Curry said. “See you on Monday.”
The Warriors face the Boston Celtics on TNT on Monday afternoon, the beginning of a challenging four-game week that also includes games against the Kings, Bulls and Lakers. Curry plans to be there. It would be a shock if Draymond Green was also on the floor.
Here’s the negative postgame injury news for the Warriors: Green left with nine minutes left in the first quarter on Saturday. He limped to the locker room on his bothersome left calf and was still limping heavily when he returned to the bench in sweats in the second half. He will get an MRI to assess the damage and timeline on Sunday, but a multi-game absence is expected.
In Green’s absence, Gui Santos started the second half, but the stint was brief. Moses Moody entered three minutes into the third quarter and, for a second straight game, logged a bulk of the team’s minutes at the power forward spot.
Without Green and the injured Jonathan Kuminga in Minnesota, Moody played 25 minutes and even guarded Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle for stretches. Against the Wizards, he played 29 minutes and often found himself mixing it up in the interior.
“Moses seems to really thrive at the (power forward),” Steve Kerr said. “That’s his spot. He’s comfortable using his strength and the ability to stretch the floor.”
Moody’s 54 minutes are his most over a two-game stretch this season. In the immediate future, he seems likely to take over the starting power forward spot and has the clearest path he’s had to consistent playing time in his fourth season.
MRI for Draymond Green tomorrow on his injured left calf. Steve Kerr said Steph Curry told him he doesn’t believe his ankle twist is serious.
The update. pic.twitter.com/DNfOc2IEyO
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 19, 2025
“If Draymond is out for a little bit, this is a good chance for Moses to get a lot of minutes at that four spot,” Kerr said.
Santos has given nice spot minutes for the Warriors recently, pumping energy and hustle into a team that has too often been lethargic. But Santos fits best as a spark if needed off the bench. Moody signed a three-year, $39 million contract extension in October and it is a perfect time for the Warriors to give him an extended runway to begin rewarding that commitment.
“That’s part of the NBA,” Moody said. “Different things, different scenarios, guys come in, guys come out. We were talking about that in the beginning of the year just the depth of the team. This is when that shows. This is when you need that.”
Moody said his offensive role doesn’t change much when he upsizes from small forward to power forward. On defense, he gets more rugged assignments, but Moody has bulked up the last few seasons and has always matched up better with bigger wings and even bigs rather than quicker guards.
Moody also provides a scoring punch and level of floor spacing that the Warriors don’t have with Green, Kuminga or Kyle Anderson, who has also missed the last two games with a hamstring issue. Moody has made 51 of his 130 3s this season — 39.2 percent.
“He’s got some physicality to him,” Kerr said. “When he’s at the four, he can stretch the floor and be a spacer and attack closeouts. If he’s at the four, there is generally shooters around him at the one, two and three. So there’s some room. He’s always played his best for us in this role, where he’s basically standing on the perimeter waiting to shoot, using his strength and his length and making hustle plays like tonight.”
(Photo of Jordan Poole holding Moses Moody: Robert Edwards / Imagn Images)
