CAULEY-STEIN OUT TUESDAY VS. SPURS
SAN ANTONIO >> Warriors center Willie Cauley-Stein has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Spurs with flu-like symptoms and did not travel with the team to San Antonio.
Cauley-Stein, 26, has started the last 30 games at center for the Warriors. After starting the season with the league’s worst defense, the Warriors have posted the 11th-best defensive rating in the league over the last 10 games, and players and coaches have credited Cauley-Stein for the team’s recent improvement.
“I think Willie Cauley-Stein has put together some good games with three blocked shots tonight and good rim protection,” head coach Steve Kerr said after last week’s win over the Timberwolves. “Guys are just playing hard, playing with energy and a lot of force, so it’s good to see.”
In 30 games, he averaged 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. Golden State signed Cauley-Stein this summer to a twoyear, $4.5 million contract with a player option for the second season.
Illness is afflicting several Warriors players, as forward Omari Spellman has been sidelined the last two games and guards D’Angelo Russell and Ky Bowman were held out of practice Monday night in San Antonio.
After playing the Spurs Tuesday, the Warriors (9-25) will head to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves on Thursday. Cauley-Stein hasn’t yet been ruled out for the second game of the two-city trip.
Rookie forward Eric Paschall, who missed two games with a right hip contusion, practiced Monday night in San Antonio. His status for Tuesday is yet to be determined.
• Warriors center Marquese Chriss has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for shoving guard Luka Doncic to the court during Golden State’s 141-121 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
The incident occurred in the third quarter after
Chriss blocked Doncic’s shot and then was tangled up while going for the rebound. Chriss, 22, shoved Doncic, 20, to the baseline. Both players were then separated by teammates and officials.
After a referee review, Chriss was assessed a technical foul but remained in the game.
Draymond Green defended Chriss after the game, saying “He played
great. Protected the rim, was really a force inside and, yes, the other part excites me. That was fun, it was good to see. That was great.”
Said Doncic after the game: “I got pushed. I’m not going to just back up. But things happen in basketball like that. You have to move on.”
The amount of the fine was set in part because Chriss has been disciplined for prior altercations on the court.
Chriss, in his first season with the Warriors, averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 17.2 minutes in 33 games. He had previously played for the Suns, Rockets and Cavaliers.
The teams will play each other again when Golden State hosts Dallas on Jan. 14 at Chase Center.