Wild ending ruins another comeback by short-handed Warriors in loss to 76ers

It was a game both teams seemed desperate to win and almost equally desperate to lose. And aside from Maxey, an All-Star last season, the outcome was mainly contested by rookies, reserves, obscure second-round picks and players like Melton and Seth Curry participating in their first games of the season.

Warriors reserves are stepping up, but it's not enough

With Steph Curry and Butler out with knee issues and Draymond Green leaving early with an apparent ankle injury, the Warriors went deep into their bench. Tuesday, Pat Spencer, an undrafted guard best known for being a college lacrosse star, scored 16 points, one game after he scored 17 points as the Warriors erased a 22-point deficit before losing late. He was +17 in a one-point loss.

Making his season debut after an ACL tear ended his 2024-25 season after six games, Melton scored 14 points in 21 minutes, with three assists and two steals. Second-year center Quinten Post, the No. 52 pick last summer, hit two three-pointers and dished four assists in a 10-point night. Rookie Will Richard, the No. 56 pick in this year's draft, scored only five points and got two steals as he was a +10 in 20 minutes.

Down the stretch, Warriors coach Steve Kerr played Spencer and Post alongside 23-year-old forward Gui Santos, the No. 55 pick from the 2022 draft. Santos had back-to-back buckets down the stretch that kept the Warriors ahead — temporarily.

It's impressive that the Warriors are getting so much production out of the back of their bench, but it's also an indictment of young players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga, both of whom were -20 in their 20 minutes Thursday night. The former first-round picks are playing worse in Golden State's motion offense than the lesser-known players.

What will that mean when Butler and Curry return? The Warriors showing so much fight when they're out is encouraging, but it hasn't led to wins. When the stars are back, Kerr might be making some serious adjustments to his rotation.