Bad time to be a Dub fan right now, as heartbreak abounds. On a night when most of the top-billed stars of the team were sidelined for injury management, the setbacks mounted. Gui Santos filled in for Draymond Green on the Golden State Warriors’ second game of a back-to-back. But that went sideways when he left the floor abruptly in the second half and didn’t return. With the Warriors falling 0-3 in the opening week of the 2026-27 season, fans were waiting for Steve Kerr or the team’s social media pages for an injury report. Instead, Gui Santos provided a reassuring update on himself to fans postgame.
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Santos limped to the locker room after playing almost three quarters during Saturday night’s 131–122 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The forward logged 23 minutes and posted seven points, four rebounds, and three assists before an apparent left knee issue forced him to leave the game in the third quarter.
The sequence caused immediate alarm across Dub Nation as Santos appeared unsteady on his feet. Reporter Joseph Dycus detailed the concerning moments on the court, noting, “Santos appears to be in pain and is stretching out and flexing his left leg at the free throw line. Trying to walk it off between free throws.”
While how the injury occurred is unclear, another Bay Area reporter, Luca Evans, observed the strain on Santos following a possession, reporting, “Gui Santos came up limping a bit after drawing that foul. Shaky on that left leg. Made 1/2 and is trying to work it off.”
As Santos limped to the locker room, panic spread rapidly across social media among Warriors fans who were already stressed by the team’s thin rotation. Fans voiced immediate concern online, with one posting, “Gui santos is scaring me unfortunately.”
Another fan highlighted the structural void, tweeting, “Total concern for Gui Santos. The only SF with decent height on the Warriors today, he left in the middle of the game with pain. Without him, they’ll have to put up with that brute Steve Kerr forcing lineups with 4 guards until the end. And worse, there’ll be even more George Niang for you guys.”
Fans who have seen the knees of Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Stephen Curry go through trauma this year alone questioned why the 24-year-old was allowed to stay on the floor while hobbling, asking, “does steve kerr not plan on taking gui santos out? he’s clearly injured,” while another added, “Gui Santos needs to take a seat because he’s limping right now. He is not okay.”
Shortly after he headed back for evaluation, ESPN’s Anthony Slater provided the team’s initial assessment, confirming, “Warriors are calling it left knee soreness for Gui Santos. He left for the locker room in the third quarter and didn’t return.”
Despite the alarming visual of Santos limping off the court, postgame reports quickly tempered fears of a long-term absence. Speaking with media in the locker room following the final buzzer, Santos clarified that the ailment was a minor setback rather than a structural injury.
While no direct quote from the 24-year-old has been reported, Slater shared the positive diagnosis on X shortly after the game, writing, “Gui Santos said it was just a left knee tweak. Nothing serious. Had a slight limp but felt it’d be a short absence, if he even misses time.”
Luca Evans echoed that sentiment after catching up with the youngster, reporting, “Talked to Gui Santos briefly postgame. Left knee, little tendon thing, didn’t sound serious. Maybe will miss a game. It flared up in Q3, he went to locker room and didn’t return.”
Santos finished his night shooting 1-of-4 from the field, 1-of-2 from deep, and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line in his 23 minutes. His presence in the lineup had been critical for the depleted Warriors, which entered Saturday missing a massive chunk of the roster, with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis all unavailable.
Charles Bassey, who was questionable with right patellar tendinopathy, was upgraded to available before tip-off. He marked his 2026-27 season debut with 10 points and seven rebounds.
A new starting lineup of Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg, Graham Ike, Will Richard and Brandon Williams stuttered against Phoenix’s scorers. Devin Booker alone had 43 points against the skeleton-crew Dubs.
With the Warriors currently 0–3 on the season, facing a grueling Week 2 schedule, and with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the veteran core, Santos’ health remains a key storyline to monitor. Depending on the team’s medical staff, Santos could either see another starting opportunity as the Warriors head to Denver to face the Nuggets on Monday night or wait out a game.