The Golden State Warriors will look to continue a two-game winning streak when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
Unfortunately for Golden State, besting the defending champs is easier said than done. The Thunder have lost just five total games this season, and three of those losses were at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
Steph Curry ruled out vs. Thunder, along with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green
To make matters more difficult, the Warriors will be missing their three stars for the matchup with the Thunder.
Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have all been ruled out of the game against Oklahoma City. Curry will miss the game due to a left ankle sprain, Butler has been ruled out due to illness and Green is listed as out for rest.
Resting their three top stars against the best team in the league makes it feel like the Warriors are preemptively waving the white flag. However, it could be a strategic decision, as Golden State also has a game on Saturday night against the Utah Jazz.
By resting their three elder stars against Oklahoma City, it could provide a better chance of all three being available for the more winnable game against Utah.
Since the matchup with Oklahoma City is nationally televised on Prime Video, the Warriors could face fines for resting players related to the NBA's updated player participation policy.
Here's some additional information about potential fines related to the game, via ESPN:
"The Friday night game against the Thunder is on Prime Video. The NBA has a recently implemented player participation policy for its stars on nationally televised games. Butler and Curry have been All-Stars in the previous three seasons, so they qualify, meaning the league could fine them $100,000 if they deem their absences illegitimate."
It will be interesting to see if any fines are ultimately handed down by the league.