Golden State Warriors Injury Report (Jan. 25): Are Moses Moody and Brandon Podziemski playing?

The Golden State Warriors returned to action Wednesday after an extended break because of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic’s death. Golden State defeated the Atlanta Hawks 134-112. The team will be back in action Thursday as it hosts Sacramento Kings. As was the case against Atlanta, the Dubs will be without Moses Moody.

Moody is dealing with a calf injury that has kept him out of the rotation for the past four games. The team announced Monday that the third-year guard will be re-evaluated in a week.

Rookie Brandin Podziemski was listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game with an illness. He was, however, cleared to play. Podziemski came off the bench to score 10 points in 26 minutes and 42 seconds, along with three rebounds and two assists. The shooting guard should play against Sacramento as well.

Besides the two young guards, the Golden State Warriors will be without Chris Paul and Gary Payton II. Paul will be re-evaluated in the beginning of February as he recovers from a broken left hand. Payton, who suffered a hamstring strain in a game against the Orlando Magic, will be re-evaluated Monday.

What happened to the Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski?

Moses Moody suffered a Grade 1 calf strain during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 10. He exited the game with 7:55 remaining in the final quarter. Moody ended his night with 21 points, the highest for Golden State in the game.

Brandin Podziemski was listed as questionable with an illness for Wednesday’s game against Atlanta. He was cleared to play. Previously, Podziemski exited a game against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 19 with a lower back strain. Even though he featured in the injury report, he played in the Warriors’ next game against the Washington Wizards.

What are Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski’s stats vs Sacramento Kings?

Moody averages 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in nine regular-season games against the Kings.

The Warriors played the Kings three times this season but none of the games featured Podziemski. If he plays Thursday, it will be his debut against Sacramento.

An emotional Golden State Warriors get much-needed win against Atlanta Hawks

Before the game Wednesday, the Warriors paid their tributes to the late Dejan Milojevic. Several players were in tears, including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Golden State coach Steve Kerr was asked post-game what he told his players prior to tipoff. Kerr’s message was simple yet poignant:

“Try to lose yourself in the game.”

In a season where the coach’s messages seemed to have been lost in between plays, the Golden State Warriors did lose themselves in the game. Steph Curry had 25 points and eight assists; Klay Thompson scored 24. Both players drained fives 3s each as they played for their beloved “brate.”

Curry pointed to the sky after his first made basket of the night. Thompson pointed to his specially designed T-shirt after the win.

While the senior players had their moments, third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga arguably had the best game of his life, at least in terms of efficiency. Kuminga went perfect from the field (11-of-11) to put up 25 points. He matched Chris Mullin’s franchise record for most made shots without a miss.

“It’s been a tough week,” Kuminga said after the game. “Obviously, we kind of regroup with everything that was going on and went out there and just enjoy and just have fun and do what Deki would want us to do.”

What Dejan Milojevic would have definitely wanted was for the Golden State Warriors to win a title. There would be no better tribute than a championship ring for their beloved assistant coach who seems to have fixed a teetering team with his passing. BRATE.