Gui Santos will miss his second straight game when the Golden State Warriors host the Miami Heat on Thursday, leaving Golden State a rotation piece short for a nationally televised matchup. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on NBA TV and NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors have won five games in a row, but the injury report still matters because this is the one night when the lineup question is public and immediate. Santos is out, Jimmy Butler III remains sidelined after right ACL repair surgery, Moses Moody is out after left patellar tendon repair surgery and Kristaps Porziņģis is unavailable because he is not with the team, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as available with a right wrist sprain.
That makes Golden State look less healthy on paper even though Miami arrives on the second night of a back-to-back after an overtime game last night. The Heat are 3-5, and the Warriors are coming off two straight off days, so the rest advantage does not match the injury picture in the way it often does. Santos' absence is the clearest change for Thursday, but the larger story is that Golden State still has to manage availability while trying to keep its streak alive.
Antetokounmpo's line explains why his availability still draws attention: he is averaging 28.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. For the Warriors, the next thing to watch is whether Santos returns after Thursday or whether Golden State keeps him out longer to get him healthy enough to rejoin the rotation without risking a setback.
