The Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans will meet Sunday at 7:00 PM ET at the Smoothie King Center, with both teams carrying significant injury concerns. The Warriors enter the matchup at 8-6, while the Pelicans are 2-10 on the season.
Golden State will be without Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral knee patellar tendonitis) and De’Anthony Melton (left ACL, surgery). Both players are ruled out, leaving Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler to shoulder the scoring and playmaking responsibilities.
The Pelicans’ injury list is equally concerning. Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture) and Jordan Poole (left quad strain) are sidelined, while Zion Williamson is listed as questionable with a left hamstring strain. Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson remain in the G League and are unavailable for the first team. The absence of Murray and Poole significantly impacts New Orleans’ backcourt depth.
Curry leads the Warriors with 29.1 points per game, averaging 3.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds. Butler contributes 19.2 points and 4.4 assists per contest. Kuminga’s absence removes 13.8 points per game and 6.6 rebounds from the rotation.
For the Pelicans, Williamson’s status will determine their inside scoring and defensive presence. He averages 22.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game when active. Trey Murphy III leads New Orleans with 19.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. With Murray and Poole out, Alvarado, Bey, and Queen are expected to carry the bulk of the offense.
Both teams are coming off mixed results. The Warriors are 3-6 on the road this season, while the Pelicans are 1-6 at home. Golden State has won their last two games in San Antonio, while New Orleans is searching for consistency after losing four of their last five contests.
