Golden State Warriors Injury Report (Dec. 8): Latest update on Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II's status
The Golden State Warriors injury report looks less concerning than it did over the last few weeks ahead of their game against the OKC Thunder tonight (Dec. 8). The Warriors only have Gary Payton II listed on the report, who is out because of a calf strain he sustained against the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 28.
Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins, who was questionable last game, is available to play tonight. So is Chris Paul, who returned in the previous game alongside Wiggins. The Warriors could see Payton join the team soon. The defensive guard will be re-evaluated in a week.
The Golden State Warriors couldn't have asked to be in a better position with their injuries. They are struggling to string together wins, reeling in 11th in the Western Conference standings with a 10-11 record.
The availability of all their plays allows the coaching staff to adjust their lineup game-to-game and achieve the desired results. The team still has the talent, but the lack of form has impacted them.
Golden State Warriors barely squeeze past lowly Trail Blazers behind Steph Curry's dagger
The Golden State Warriors nearly recorded a new low this season in their previous game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors were staring at a potential defeat against a rebuilding Blazers team without three starters: Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Malcolm Brogdon (who exited the game in the first half) and a starting caliber center, Robert Williams III.
The Dubs were down 11 points midway through the third quarter. They didn't lead the game until early in the fourth period. It was a back-and-forth contest until Steph Curry extended the Warriors lead by four points with 10 seconds left. The Warriors won the tie 110-106. Golden State needed another Curry 30-point outing to record a win.
The two-time MVP scored 31 points, shooting eight-of-18, including five-of-13 from deep. Curry made 10-of-11 shots from the foul line. Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson underperformed again as they scored a combined 20 points on six-of-25 shooting.
Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Dario Saric played excellent cameos. Green had 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and Kuminga tallied 13 points on 100% shooting. Saric had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.
The Golden State Warriors face a stern test against the 13-7 OKC Thunder, who are second in the West. Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and even Chris Paul need to produce the goods on offense if the Warriors are to record their first back-to-back win since Nov. 3.
Interestingly, that came against the Thunder as the Warriors trounced them 141-139 in the In-Season tournament and improved to 6-1.