
The Golden State Warriors haven't been fully healthy in a while now, and that won't be changing any time soon.
They finally get to return home to Chase Center after a three-game road trip went sideways, resulting in just one win and culminating in a disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night, which dropped them back to .500 on the season.
The Warriors will look to turn things around with 18 games left in the regular season, starting tonight against the Chicago Bulls, where both teams will be fielding reduced rosters.
The laundry list of players on the Warriors' injury report for the Bulls game is long, to be certain, but somewhat expected considering the back-to-back nature of the game.
Since Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis both sat out yesterday's game against the Jazz, they're now available for this one, providing a big boost on the interior and giving some relief for Quinten Post, who played 25 minutes last night, the most he's played in over a month.
Speaking of Post, the second-year center is listed as questionable with foot soreness. The other questionable players on the injury report are Draymond Green, due to back injury management, and De'Anthony Melton for adductor soreness, while Gary Payton II is probable to play with ankle impingement.
In particular, Melton is a notable name. If he's able to go, it would be the first back-to-back for him since he returned from the ACL injury he suffered last season. After the game on Monday, it was indicated by Steve Kerr that Melton only played 20 minutes because they're hoping to have him available for both games. It would be a big boost if the veteran guard is able to contribute in any capacity on a back-to-back.
One player returning from a recent injury is Will Richard, as the rookie has been completely cleared from the injury report after missing the last four games due to an ankle injury he suffered against the Lakers on the last day of February.
As for the players out, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler are, of course, inactive. Curry will be missing his 15th game in a row, but is set to be re-evaluated tomorrow. The other Curry brother, Seth, made his return to action last night after being out for over three months, but he'll head back to the bench for this one. Moses Moody also remains out with a wrist sprain, missing his fourth-straight game.
The Bulls aren't strangers to injuries this season, either. A whopping 11 players have some sort of designation on the injury report, though five of them are probable or questionable, including prominent rotation players Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Collin Sexton.
Players out for the Bulls include Zach Collins, rookie Noa Essengue, and two trade deadline acquisitions — Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons. The first two are out for the season, but the latter two have both played in the past month and are dealing with runner's knee and a fractured left wrist, respectively.
The Bulls are coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings, making it a pair of squads heading to Chase Center tonight with the taste of a really bad loss in their mouths. The Bulls also just got off an 11-game losing streak and have lost 16 of their last 19 games dating back to late-January, so if the Warriors drop this one, it may be an even worse pill to swallow than the Jazz loss last night.