Porzingis (back) leaves Warriors’ loss due to spasms
Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis left Friday night’s game in Detroit due to lower back spasms.
DETROIT — The center of the Golden State Warriors, Kristaps Porzingis left Friday night’s game in Detroit due to lower back spasms and declared after the game that he will “probably” miss Saturday night’s reunion game in Atlanta against the Hawks, the team that traded him in February.
“We’ll see,” he said. Porzingis. “Maybe it will go away tomorrow. Who knows? But it’s pretty stiff right now.”
Porzingis said he first felt stiffness in his back in the first quarter, but the problem worsened late in the second quarter after two consecutive plays in which he collided with Pistons center Jalen Duren.
In his last possession, Porzingis He jumped to catch an errant pass as Duren pushed him from behind. Upon landing, Porzingis He grabbed the small of his back and asked to leave the game. He walked slowly to the locker room, followed by physical therapist Drew Yoder, and the team ruled him out after the break.
“When I was warm, I felt good,” Porzingis said. “But on that play I felt a little spasm.”
Porzingis had recently regained his rhythm, overcoming another bout of illness to play in six of the team’s last eight games. Warriorsincreasing his minute limit to 26 and reiterating to the press that he felt better than ever so far this season.
He scored 11, 17, 20 and 30 points in the previous four games, estimating after Wednesday night’s loss in Boston that he was at 60% of his usual level and only needed a few more games to regain his full rhythm.
But now, presumably, Porzingis will be out in the short term as injury problems continue to pile up for the Warriorswho have a record of 33-37. They committed a season-high 27 turnovers in Friday’s 115-101 loss to the Pistons and have lost seven of their last eight games.
Porzingis He stated that he did not believe his back problem was serious, as he had dealt with similar discomfort earlier in his career and knew how to control it.
“I would say I control it pretty well, I keep my back strong,” he said. Porzingis. “Right now it’s a little stiff. When the pain goes away, it will tighten up more.”
The Hawks traded Porzingis to the Warriors by Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield before the February 5 deadline. Kuminga has had his own health issues since joining the Hawks, missing several games, including Friday night’s loss in Houston, due to a bone bruise in his knee, but Kuminga is expected to be on the court against the Warriors on Saturday night.
