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The availability of Kristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors remains in doubt with illness.
The Golden State Warriors will have to keep leaning on veteran stability up front as their long-awaited frontcourt reinforcement remains sidelined longer than expected.
Kristaps Porziņģis Left Behind as Warriors Head Out
According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, Kristaps Porziņģis did not travel with the Warriors for their quick two-game road trip to New Orleans and Memphis on Tuesday and Wednesday — a strong indication he will miss at least the next two games.
“Kristaps Porzingis did not make the trip to New Orleans with the Warriors,” Slater wrote. “It’s a quick two-gamer with a back-to-back in Memphis. This would indicate Porzingis (out with illness yesterday) is expected to miss at least the next two games. Draymond Green did make the trip.”
For a Warriors team already navigating life without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, the development further complicates a frontcourt rotation that has been in flux since the trade deadline.
A Sudden Illness Derails Warriors’ Plan
Porziņģis appeared on the NBA’s official injury report Sunday morning, listed as out with illness, just hours before Golden State was set to host the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Head coach Steve Kerr confirmed the abrupt development before tip-off, revealing the news came via text message.
“I haven’t talked to him, but I just got a text this morning that he was sick and at the hotel,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s not even going to come over here.”
The timing was especially unfortunate. Just one day earlier, Kerr had expressed optimism that Porziņģis’ role was about to expand.
Minutes Increase Put on Hold
After Porziņģis’ long-delayed debut, Kerr said Saturday that the training staff had cleared the former All-Star to handle a slightly larger workload beginning Sunday.
“We’ll bump it up a little bit,” Kerr said Saturday. “Talking to the training staff this morning, we’ll be able to bump it up — but not too much.”
Porziņģis was still expected to come off the bench, but the plan represented a meaningful step in his integration as Golden State searches for scoring, spacing and rim protection with Curry sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome — commonly referred to as runner’s knee.
Instead, illness scrapped that plan entirely.
A Cautious Approach Continues
The Warriors have been cautious with Porziņģis since acquiring him, and for good reason.
He had already missed 13 consecutive games before the trade and three more afterward while dealing with Achilles tendinitis — an injury the organization has treated with extreme care. Even his debut came with strict minutes monitoring, underscoring how methodical the ramp-up process has been.
Now, with Porziņģis unavailable again, Golden State’s timeline for frontcourt continuity remains uncertain.
Draymond Green Nearly Played — Then Didn’t
Adding to the pregame chaos Sunday, Green was a late scratch against Denver after his lower back tightened during warmups.
“He was going to play, and he went out to warm up, but his lower back tightened up,” said Kerr of Green. “So we scratched him at that point. With the back-to-back coming up, we’ll see. I don’t have an update at this point, but hopefully he’ll be all right.”
Green ultimately traveled with the team, but his availability remains something to monitor as the Warriors push through a compact stretch of games.
Al Horford Steps In — and Delivers
With their frontcourt suddenly decimated, Golden State once again turned to Al Horford — and the 39-year-old delivered the best performance of his Warriors tenure.
Horford stepped into the starting lineup and finished with six three-pointers, a season-high 22 points, and seven assists, powering Golden State to a 128–117 upset win over the Nuggets and snapping a two-game losing streak.
“Once I realized I had to start, I just needed to make sure that I brought energy and those shots were available early on,” Horford said. “I wanted us to play with pace, play fast, and get the ball moving. That was the key for the rest of the game.”
Horford scored 17 points in just 14 first-half minutes, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range. The outburst eclipsed his previous season-high scoring mark and marked his most made threes in a game this year.
According to Polymarket Hoops, Horford became the oldest center in NBA history to hit five three-pointers in a first half, igniting an offense that never looked back.
The Reality Moving Forward
Until Porziņģis returns, the Warriors will continue to rely on Horford’s experience, spacing and poise — a stopgap solution that has worked in flashes but wasn’t designed to be a long-term answer.
For now, Golden State will take it.
In a season defined by adaptation, the Warriors once again found stability in the unlikeliest place: the steady hands — and steady jumper — of a 39-year-old center.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo