The Golden State Warriors faced two major setbacks during Game 2 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The first came when Jimmy Butler was forced off the court after sustaining a pelvic contusion. But, soon after, Brandin Podziemski also made his was off the court as he headed straight to the locker room due to illness, leaving the Warriors in a difficult position.
What actually happened to Brandin Podziemski?
The Golden State Warriors later announced that Podziemski was questionable to return to the court. Not just this, Brandin was game time decision after dealing with a stomach issue prior to the tip-off. He choose to play through his illness but he wasn't as good as he is during the limited minutes he featured on the court in the first quarter.
Brandin Podziemski also to the locker room during the timeout between quarters followed by the training staff. Dealing with stomach issue today. Warriors have two starters in the locker room, Warriors insider Anthony Slater tweeted.
Brandin only featured for 7:59 minutes in the first quarter as he was not able to get on the scoreboard. He missed all three shot attempts, including one from the beyond the arc. His absence in the second quarter was a much bigger setback for the Warriors as the Rockets took full advantage and broke the game wide open.
Brandin later returned to the bench as he was cleared to play. Head coach Steve Kerr put him back in the lineup in the third quarter but he still didn't rise up to the expectations as he took two shot attempts but was unable to convert either of them.
Brandin Podziemski has become one of the crucial players for the Warriors' rotation and his contributions played a crucial role in the team's recent turn around. He was impressive in Game 1 as he registered 14 points on 5 of 14 shooting, including 3 of 8 from 3-point range. With this, he managed to record eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.