SACRAMENTO — Stephen Curry did not accompany the Warriors on their 90-minute bus ride here late Tuesday night, and by the time Golden State tipped off Wednesday against the Kings, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler had also been ruled out.

Without any of the team’s top three players, coach Steve Kerr opted to insert rookie guard Will Richard, second-year center Quentin Post and shooting guard Moses Moody into the starting lineup alongside Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga.

“Obviously it’s more difficult when you’re missing your stars, but it’s a great opportunity for a lot of guys,” Kerr said before the game, adding that he was looking to see “energy, pace” from the makeshift group. “Throwing the ball ahead, playing aggressively on offense. Defensively, containing penetration and keeping the easy stuff away, just trying to put a good 48 minutes together. I’m excited.”

The task was made somewhat easier by the Kings’ equally packed injury report. Already without Keegan Murray (offseason surgery), Sacramento also ruled out Domantas Sabonis (left rib cage contusion) and Zach Lavine (low back soreness).

Podziemski was listed as questionable with a sore left wrist but was cleared to play before tipoff. Green was dealing with bruised ribs and Butler a sore lower back that prevented him from playing the second half Tuesday night, but Kerr was optimistic both players would be back Friday in Denver.

Curry was back home at his Atherton estate recovering from an illness that worsened overnight, according to Kerr.

“Hopefully there aren’t too many games where we’re missing all three of those guys at the same time,” Kerr said. “It just sort of happened. Steph got sick. Jimmy hurt his back. Draymond as well not feeling well. The schedule kind of caught up to us. The hope would be, going forward, when those guys miss games, it’s not at the same time, because that puts you behind the eight ball.”

RevContent Feed