The Golden State Warriors finally got Stephen Curry back on the floor Sunday night in Houston. Two days later, the good news comes with a sting.
Santos Sidelined at the Wrong Time
The Brazilian forward has been ruled out of Tuesday’s home game against the Sacramento Kings with a pelvic contusion, per ClutchPoints’ Kenzo Fukuda. The issue traces back to March 29 in Denver, when Nuggets wing Christian Braun caught Santos with a knee. He sat out the next game against the San Antonio Spurs, then pushed through the pain to play in Golden State’s last two outings.
He practiced Monday and moved well enough to raise hopes he’d be available. The pain said otherwise. The Warriors will keep him out.
The timing is brutal. Since January 20, Santos has missed just one game and carved out a place as one of Steve Kerr’s most dependable rotation forwards. He brings size, energy, and a steady presence in lineups that have quietly become some of Golden State’s most effective.
Now there’s a hole in that forward group at the exact moment the Warriors are trying to lock in their identity before the play-in tournament.
Injury List Grows
Santos isn’t the only concern.
- Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable with knee soreness.
- Al Horford and Quinten Post are both out.
- Curry is on the report as probable after logging 26 minutes in his return from a 27-game absence on Sunday.
If Porzingis can’t go, the Warriors’ frontcourt becomes paper-thin. Malevy Leons and Charles Bassey suddenly move from depth pieces to central figures. Draymond Green will have to shoulder more forward minutes, and Bassey’s role expands whether he’s ready or not.
Bassey at least gave the coaching staff something to chew on in his debut. Five points, four rebounds, two blocks in limited minutes — nothing flashy, but enough to show he belongs in the mix. Tuesday offers him another stage, another chance to prove he can handle real responsibility when the stakes rise.
What Santos’ Absence Really Means
Golden State has four games left before the play-in. They’re not chasing the standings now. The gap to the ninth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers is too wide to realistically close.
This stretch is about something else: rhythm, habits, combinations. Getting the right groups on the floor together, again and again, until the play-in opener feels like a continuation, not a reset.
That’s why Santos’ absence cuts deeper than any box score will show. He’s central to the lineups that best complement Curry. Every game he misses is one fewer chance for those units to sharpen their timing, their spacing, their trust.
In the meantime, Nate Williams and Leons will soak up the forward minutes. Expect Kerr to lean heavily on three- and four-guard lineups to survive the Kings’ visit. That can work on a random Tuesday night. It’s a far bigger gamble in a win-or-go-home setting.
Eyes on the Play-In
The Warriors don’t expect Santos to be out long. The play-in sits a week away, and there’s optimism he’ll be ready when the season truly hangs in the balance.
So Tuesday becomes a test of survival and refinement. Get Curry more minutes. Get the rotations a little cleaner. Get through the night without adding another name to that injury list.
The real judgment on this team won’t come against Sacramento. It’s coming next week, when there are no do-overs.
