The Golden State Warriors entered Monday night’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks already battered by injuries to their biggest stars. With Steph Curry still sidelined by a lingering knee issue and Jimmy Butler out for the season with a torn ACL, the team desperately needed a spark in their fight for a playoff spot.
They got one — briefly — before the night turned into a nightmare.
In a thrilling overtime contest that the Warriors won 137-131, young guard Moses Moody delivered a standout performance in his return from a 10-game absence due to a right wrist sprain. Moody led all scorers with 23 points, adding three rebounds, three assists, and three steals while providing relentless defensive pressure and clutch shooting.
But with just under a minute left in overtime, disaster struck.
Moody stole the ball from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and raced down the court on a fast break for what looked like an easy layup or dunk. As he planted to explode toward the rim, his left knee buckled in a gruesome, non-contact injury. He collapsed in agony, grabbing at his knee while play continued at the other end. The American Airlines Center crowd fell deathly silent as Warriors teammates and medical staff rushed to his side.
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Moody was eventually loaded onto a stretcher and carted off for further evaluation, leaving the arena in visible pain. Teammates, including head coach Steve Kerr and Draymond Green, gathered around him in a heartbreaking scene. Reports described Green consoling Moody emotionally, with some accounts noting the veteran forward in tears as his young teammate was stretchered away.
Postgame, a visibly shaken Kerr described the moment:
“I just saw his leg buckle, and I saw him go down in a heap in pain. We don’t know what it is, but it sure looked bad… We’re just praying that it’s not too serious, but it sure looked serious.”
Kerr praised Moody as a “great human being” who had been working tirelessly during his recovery, only to suffer this devastating setback on what had been a dominant return.
“Defensively, he changed the game for us with his ball pressure and knocked down big shots. It was so great to finally have him back… and then for that to happen, we’re just hoping for the best-case scenario.”
Moody is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday to determine the full extent of the knee injury.
The victory improved the Warriors’ record to 34-38, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. Yet the win felt hollow. Golden State is already without Steph Curry, who continues to recover from a knee injury (patella-femoral pain syndrome and bone bruising) and is set for a re-evaluation this week, and Jimmy Butler, whose season-ending ACL tear from January has left a massive void.
Losing Moody — a versatile two-way contributor who had been averaging strong numbers before his wrist issue — adds another crushing blow to a roster already stretched thin.
For a Warriors team fighting to stay relevant in a competitive Western Conference, Monday night delivered both elation and devastation. As the organization awaits medical updates on Moody (and potentially Curry), the focus shifts from the scoreboard to the health of their key pieces.
Prayers are with Moses Moody for a swift and full recovery. In what has become an injury-plagued season, the Warriors can only hope this latest scare isn’t as severe as it appeared.