The Golden State Warriors have been dealing with a few injuries over the past few weeks, as Stephen Curry is still sidelined with a knee injury. Another player that been sidelined was Kristaps Porzingis, who was dealing with the illness he's had for most of this season. Luckily for the Warriors, he was able to suit up in their latest game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and finished with 9 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
The Warriors want to be cautious with how much they play Porzingis moving forward, and they have a plan for the team's upcoming back-to-back, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.
“Warriors’ current plan is to rest Kristaps Porzingis on Monday night in Utah and play him on Tuesday at home against the Bulls. He stretched to 23 minutes tonight and told Kerr postgame he felt fine,” Slater wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Steve Kerr was impressed with what he saw from Porzingis against the Thunder.
“I thought he looked like a guy who hadn't played in a bit, rhythm-wise,” Kerr said cheekily after the game.
“But I thought he looked good physically. Really encouraging night for him to play 23 minutes. I talked to him after the game, said he felt good. And it was really fun to see him. You can see the kind of weapon he is, the size he gives us. Obviously, we're [still] figuring out combinations, what kind of actions we want to run. With him and for him. It'll take a little time, but really encouraging to see him out there.”
Porzingis noted after the game that he is optimistic that he'll be healthy moving forward.
“I believe I will be healthy, honestly,” Porzingis said. “This is what I really feel. Not to sell anything because I know I've been in and out and out again. But this time I really feel this is it.”
Having Porzingis healthy will be key for the Warriors down the stretch of this season as they try to make a playoff push.
