Warriors Catch Break as 3 Pelicans Starters Ruled Out for Monday's Game

The Golden State Warriors (7-3) will attempt to win their eighth straight game on Monday against a short-handed New Orleans Pelicans team.

Starters Trey Murphy III (knee), Zion Williamson (rest) and Yves Missi (knee) have been ruled out. Murphy and Williamson played on Sunday, so they are getting the typical veteran rest on the back end of a back-to-back. Missi has missed the last eight games for the Pels (4-6).

The Warriors will be without Will Richard indefinitely due to a UCL injury. Gary Payton II (knee) is questionable, while Gui Santos (knee) is probable.

As will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future, Jimmy Butler (knee), Moses Moody (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (not with team) are also out. No one else is on the Warriors' injury report.

Predicting Who the Pels Will Go to with 3 Starters Out

The Pelicans aren't devoid of offensive talent with Murphy, Williamson and Missi out.

Starting guards Jeremiah Fears (15.8 PPG) and Dejounte Murary (14.9 PPG) have the ability to fill up the box score. Warriors killer Saddiq Bey (16.1 PPG) will likely enter the starting lineup for the first time this season.

Second-year center Derik Queen (12.1 PPG) will also probably get his first start of the year. Jordan Poole (6.0 PPG) has only appeared in four games this season due to an ankle injury, but he's off the injury report and should have reserve role—Dubs fans don't need reminding that he's capable of scoring points in a hurry.

The severely undermanned Magic took the Warriors to overtime on Saturday. Orlando's comeback was fueled almost entirely on offensive rebounds and Golden State turnovers.

If the Warriors take care of the ball and defensive-rebound better, they should win this game.

Warriors Have Two Streaks on the Line

The last time the Warriors won eight in a row was a nine-game winning streak between January and February 2022.

But that's not the only streak they have on the line.

The Warriors will be going for their first 6-0 homestand since May 2021.

That season started in December, which pushed the regular-season schedule into May. Stephen Curry had a nuclear April and May to get the Warriors into the play-in tournament as the eighth seed, but they lost both play-in games to miss the playoffs.

The common thread between then and now is a nuclear Curry stretch.

In the four games Curry has played on this homestand, he's averaging 33.8 points per game on 51.2 percent from the field and 49.0 percent from three.

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