Short-handed Warriors still good enough to beat Sixers
SAN FRANCISCO >> By now, the Warriors are used to playing short-handed. Though it seemed for a moment that they were — in Steve Kerr’s parlance — out of the woods, Saturday morning’s revelation that Stephen Curry was sidelined with the flu put the Warriors back in a familiar position. They were without their superstar and down several bodies in a game they would need to scrape to compete in.
Golden State’s 118-114 win Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers wasn’t the top story at Chase Center. As the coronavirus epidemic sweeps the country, Curry’s flu was the subject of understandable concern.
Warriors officials maintain Curry is not showing signs of having COVID-19 — and that the 31-year-old guard may have picked up a seasonal flu from his son — but his symptoms were enough that he joined forward Draymond Green (left knee soreness), center Kevon Looney (hip) and three others on the injury report.
But against a similarly injured 76ers team missing center Joel Embiid (shoulder) and guard Ben Simmons (lower back), the Warriors (15-49) reverted to a state without Curry, and
relied on contributions from a rag-tag group to earn a comeback win.
When guard Damion Lee’s floater tied the game at 106 with 3:41 remaining, the Warriors erased a 10-point deficit. Lee later made a layup to give the Warriors a 113-111 lead with 1:40 left in the game.
Then, center Marquese Chriss’ block of forward Mike Scott’s layup with 27 seconds left, and free throws by forward Eric Paschall and guard Mychal Mulder maintained the lead. When guard Furkan Korkmaz stepped out of bounds in the final seconds, it sealed the Warriors’ win.
Lee finished with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting (3 for 8 from 3-point range), six rebounds and three assists, and converted two big buckets in what could be considered a redemption game. In Golden State’s loss to Toronto on Thursday, Lee missed a pair of 3-pointers late that could have kept it within a possession.
That game marked Curry’s return after a 58-game absence with a broken left hand. But his cameo was brief, and the Warriors on Saturday defaulted to life without him. Surprisingly, they have won three of their last four games without the two-time MVP.
Among Golden State’s nine healthy players, Paschall finished with 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting, three rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes off the bench. Mulder, on the final day of his 10-day contract, went for 18 points on 5-for10 shooting (3 for 7 from 3-point range) as he filled in for Curry in the starting lineup.
The 76ers (38-26) were paced by forward Tobias Harris (24 points, four re- bounds and four assists) and center Al Horford (22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists).
CURRY REPORT >> Curry was diagnosed with the flu Saturday morning but is not showing signs of the coronavirus, according to team physician Dr. Robert Nied.
Curry was poised to make his second straight appearance since missing 58 games recovering from a broken hand on Saturday night in the Warriors’ nationally televised game against the 76ers.
“This morning Stephen Curry was diagnosed with influenza A by a positive viral testing,” Nied said via a team statement. “We have identified his probable source contact who is not part of basketball operations. He has no specific risk factors for COVID-19. He has the seasonal flu. We have begun treatment for Stephen and instituted our team protocol for influenza exposure.”
As of now, there is no timetable for when he will be back in the Warriors’ lineup.
On Thursday, Curry returned after being sidelined for four months with a broken left hand. He had 23 points and seven assists in 27 minutes in Golden State’s 121-113 loss to Toronto.
“I was with Steph yesterday in practice and also in Oakland yesterday afternoon and he was fine,” Kerr said before the game. “So he woke up this morning feeling sick. I know his young son was sick for a couple of days so he probably got it from his son. But our doctors checked him out and it’s the basic flu.”
Earlier this week, the NBA sent a memo directing teams to take precautions against the coronavirus. Those precautions include players fist-bumping instead of shaking hands with fans and avoiding taking pens to sign autographs. It was also reported the league is considering barring media from player locker rooms during this time.
After two confirmed cases of the virus were reported in San Francisco, the Warriors announced on Friday that Saturday night’s game against the 76ers at Chase Center will continue as scheduled. In a statement, they cautioned, “Any guest who is feeling sick, regardless of their symptoms, should not attend public events.”
Team doctors addressed Golden State’s players and coaches earlier in the week about precautions they can take.
“It’s absolutely a concern,” Kerr said. “But I’m no expert. I’m just like everyone else, just trying to learn about it. It’s a concern and we’re doing our job to come in and get ready for the game and play the game, and the league will tell us what to do next.”
LOONEY SUFFERS SETBACK >> Warriors center Kevon Looney, who has missed the last three games with left hip soreness, will be re-evaluated in three weeks, the team announced.
“The decision was made to provide him additional time to give him the best chance for a full resolution,” the Warriors said via a statement.
This hip injury is latest of several setbacks Looney has had this season. Looney has played just 20 games as he’s been sidelined with a hamstring strain, neuropathic condition and abdominal strain at various points this season.
Prior to the injury, Looney was playing his best basketball of the season. In his last game on Feb. 29, he recorded 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes in a win over the Suns.
“It is a concern,” Kerr said. “(Golden State Director of Sports Medicine and Performance Dr. Rick Celebrini) feels that this is the best course of action right now just so the injury is not aggravated. We want to give him every opportunity to finish the season and go into the summer with some momentum.”
Kerr said ruling out Looney for the rest of the season has not been a consideration.