The Golden State Warriors won yet again on Tuesday night by a score of 102-94 over the Washington Wizards. It was the Warriors fifth-straight victory and they remain on pace to break the Chicago Bulls wins record with just eight games to play.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently admitted that the Warriors want the record, something we have pretty much known for a while, but they may be getting some reinforcements to help pursue that record. Andre Iguodala and Festus Ezeli have both missed extended time with injuries recently but the Warriors think that both players can get back on the court next week.
Iguodala and Ezeli are both big parts of this Warriors team, so the fact that the team hasn't had any sort of drop-off since they have been out is pretty amazing. The two of them were especially key to the playoff run last season as Iggy was the Finals MVP and Ezeli provided a lot of energy off the bench and it seems like the worst-case scenario is that they are back for the playoffs.
The Warriors though, would prefer that they come back during the regular season to knock some of the rust off and get in a rhythm. Iguodala has missed the Warriors last ten games with an ankle injury. The Warriors have obviously been very cautious with the injury, but Kerr is hopeful that Iguodala will be back in game action next week. The 32-year-old forward may have some restrictions when he comes back to ensure that he is 100 percent healthy for the postseason, but just getting him back at all will be huge for Golden State.
Ezeli has been out for much longer than Iguodala but he too is very close to returning. The 26-year-old center was able to participate in shoot around before Tuesday's game and Kerr believes next week is a reasonable expectation for his return to the floor. Ezeli hasn't played since Jan. 25 as he underwent knee surgery, but he has always remained confident he would be back this season. The fourth-year man out of Vanderbilt wasn't a huge part of the rotation before getting injured but he still is important as he is likely the team's future center and he has showed big time growth this season.
As if the Warriors need any sort of help heading into the stretch run of the regular season, it looks like they will be getting it. Breaking the Bulls record won't be easy because the schedule isn't all that favorable (includes two games against the Spurs) but having a fully healthy roster should help their pursuit.
