PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 03: Stephen Curry #30 celebrates his basket with Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 03, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Steph Curry and Draymond Green are both getting the night off as the Warriors wrap up the first half of the NBA season.
The Golden State Warriors are taking on the Phoenix Suns on Thursday as the first half of the NBA season comes to a close.
The Warriors will enter the break right in the mix to reach the playoffs in what is a tight Western Conference race. But Thursday night’s game will be a challenge against a tough Suns team as both Steph Curry and Draymond Green will not play.
Curry and Green get some rest before the break
Curry is out for general rest as he prepares to start in this weekend’s All-Star Game. Green sitting out as well allows him to rest up and feel better once the team takes the floor again March 11 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Both veterans have been able to lead the Warriors back into the playoff race after the team bottomed out last season. They are doing this without Klay Thompson, but have gotten nice contributions from Kelly Oubre Jr., James Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins.
Curry is, as expected, playing out of his mind. He is averaging nearly 30 points per game and dishing out well over six assists per game as well.
Green is not as much a threat scoring, but is dishing out 8.6 assists per game and is a routine candidate to get a triple-double by barely reaching 10 points. His impact is felt in every other facet of the game.
The Warriors will face a tough test without their two stars. However, Steve Kerr’s team has bigger goals in 2021 and that includes competing for a championship once again. Keeping the stars fresh is a great way to reset before a busy second half of the season gets underway.