
Since the Golden State Warriors last played on Friday night, it's been a long weekend of much-needed time off that also came with some overarching restlessness as trade rumors continued to swirl around the team and the NBA as a whole. However, all those thoughts will have to be put to the side, just as many players said they've been doing, as the Warriors get back into action on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a matchup between the 27-23 Warriors and the 28-21 76ers, it's about as even as it can get, though the injury reports released by both teams may end up swinging things in a certain direction.
Steph Curry was the clear headliner on the Warriors' injury report. Curry left Friday's game against the Pistons in the third quarter due to right knee soreness, a condition that has been affecting him for a while and had previously held him out of the second night of the Warriors' back-to-back against Minnesota last week.
Now, Curry will miss another game due to this issue, as he was listed as out for their game against the 76ers. It is officially classified as patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is more commonly referred to as runner's knee. Curry is getting treatment on the knee, and it remains to be seen if he'll end up sitting out Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns, as well.
Joining Curry on the injury report are the rest of the names that are expected to be there: Jimmy Butler, Seth Curry, and Jonathan Kuminga. Butler is obviously out for the season with his ACL tear, Seth Curry was just re-evaluated and determined to need another couple of weeks for his sciatic issue, and Kuminga has no timeline for a return from his left knee bone bruise.
Moses Moody also popped up on the injury report, but he's probable to play with some left knee soreness. All in all, the Warriors aren't missing anyone surprising outside of Steph Curry, but his talent might move the needle anyway.
On Philadelphia's side, they'll also be playing this one without one of their stars. With it being the second night of a back-to-back after the 76ers beat the Clippers in Los Angeles last night, Joel Embiid will be sitting this game out.
Embiid has been injury-prone for his entire career, and though he has been dominant this season, not having scored below 20 points in a game since early December and averaging 33 points over his last 8 games, the 76ers are still going to be careful with him for these back-to-backs.
The one-time MVP hasn't played both ends of a back-to-back this season, and this game will be no different.
The only other player out for the 76ers is Paul George, who will be missing the third game in his 25-game suspension the NBA recently handed him for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Specific details still haven't come out about what George took to violate the policy — George says he took an incorrect medication for his mental health — but the ruling still means George isn't going to be able to play until the final 10 games of the regular season.
Even without Embiid and George, though, the 76ers are still led by All-Star Tyrese Maxey and rookie phenom V.J. Edgecombe. It'll have to be a team effort from the Curry-less Warriors if they want to come away with a victory.