Curry, Butler Out; Warriors Shorthanded vs. Kings

The Warriors will be missing their top two players Wednesday in Sacramento — Jimmy Butler is expected to sit after leaving Tuesday’s win with lower-back soreness, and Steve Kerr flatly said of Stephen Curry, “I don't care what the doctors say. We got to get him some rest. He's not playing tomorrow.” Curry, dealing with a cold, admitted, “Tonight in the second half, the tank was on [empty].” Draymond Green’s status is also “iffy.” That matters: Golden State is 5-3 and every game in a deeper Western Conference counts for playoff positioning. Merlin sees a tidy story arc: this is a night for Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody to step into bigger roles and for the Warriors’ depth to be tested. At 37 and 36, Curry and Butler need managed minutes — smart for the season, risky for one game — and the struggling Kings (2-5) get a genuine chance to steal momentum.