Golden State Warriors’ dependence on Al Horford already evident after first defeat of the season

Al Horford has already emerged as a key player for the Golden State Warriors

Aside from fatigue, the most notable thing from the Warriors’ 20-point defeat against the Trail Blazers was the absence of 39-year-old Al Horford.

Head coach Steve Kerr rested Horford vs. the Trail Blazers due to left toe injury management. While it was a load management decision, the Warriors missed Horford’s presence on the court.

Even in the twilight years of his career, Horford is a threat on both ends of the floor. In his absence, the Trail Blazers dominated on both ends.

Thus, proving that the Warriors may be the dark horse candidate to win the 2026 NBA Championship, but Horford is key to it.

Horford has averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 50.0% from the three-point line for the Warriors.

Stephen Curry makes NBA history

The only silver lining for the Warriors in the blowout loss against the Trail Blazers was Stephen Curry’s performance.

The 2x NBA MVP had 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in the loss. However, Curry made history as he became the oldest NBA player ever to score 35 points in back-to-back games.

On top of that, Curry also became the first NBA player this season to reach the 100-point mark, showing his incredible longevity.

The Warriors star will now get some much-deserved rest ahead of the team’s next matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.