Al Horford watched on as the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors dropped a third-straight game on Thursday, falling to 36-41 on the 2025-26 NBA season after a 118-111 loss to Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, the Warriors will look to snap the skid on Sunday, hosting Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
After spending a few seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning his first NBA Finals, Horford signed a two-year, $11.65 million deal with Golden State last offseason. The former Florida Gators star has become a key rotational piece for Steve Kerr’s team, averaging 8.3 points on 42.4% shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 43 appearances, including 12 starts.
Golden State Warriors center-forward Al Horford (20) waits for action to resume in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center.Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
(Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
But in the Warriors’ 127-117 loss to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 13, Horford was forced to leave the game early after suffering an injury. Further testing confirmed a soleus strain in his right calf, which has sidelined him for the last 11 games. The injury came at a difficult time for Golden State, which has also been without Stephen Curry (knee) since late January, although he is expected to return Sunday, as well as Jimmy Butler, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
On Saturday, with Horford still recovering from his injury, the Warriors shared a positive update on their 39-year-old center. The team confirmed he is making good progress and was even incorporated into practice. However, Horford may still have to wait, as Golden State plans to re-evaluate him early next week.
“Warriors say Al Horford, who has missed the last 11 games due to a strained right soleus, is making good progress,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears wrote on X. “He continues to advance the level of his on-court workouts and was incorporated into parts of team practice today. He will be re-evaluated again early next week.”
The Warriors will face the Rockets on Sunday at 10:00 p.m. ET before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at the same time.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.