Warriors Announce Kristaps Porzingis News for Suns Game

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Warriors Announce Kristaps Porzingis News for Suns Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Apr 17, 2026 9:32 PM ET

Kristaps Porzingis played a key role for the Golden State Warriors in their 126-121 season-saving win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Porzingis registered 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, a steal, two blocks and three triples in 28 minutes of action. The All-Star big man helped lead the Warriors to a play-in win against the Clippers to keep their season alive.

Porzingis, however, headed into Friday’s do-or-die game against the Phoenix Suns with a questionable tag. The 30-year-old veteran is dealing with an ankle injury that cast serious doubt on his status for the play-in matchup in Phoenix.

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis (7) warms up before the game at Chase Center.Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

The Warriors must win on Friday to keep their season alive. A loss will see them miss out on the NBA playoffs for the second time in three years. A win, however, will secure the No. 8 seed for Golden State to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

The good news for the Warriors is that Porzingis will be available against the Suns. The 7-foot-2 big man was a true game-time decision for Golden State, but he has now been deemed healthy enough to suit up in the biggest game of the season thus far.

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Porzingis’ right ankle was still bothering him during warmup. However, after a conversation with director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini, Porzingis was given the green light to play.

The Warriors confirmed the news via the official injury report. The team announced right before tipoff that Porzingis is listed as available to play against the Suns.

Porzingis has been an integral part of Golden State’s frontcourt since his mid-season trade from the Atlanta Hawks. In 15 games played in the regular season (11 starts), the one-time NBA champion big man averaged 16.1 points on 43.3% shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.5 triples in 23.7 minutes per contest.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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