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Warriors Lose to Thunder Despite Santos' Career Night
Gui Santos shines, but short-handed Warriors fall short against OKC
Published on Mar. 8, 2026
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The severely short-handed Golden State Warriors couldn't quite complete their comeback against the severely short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder, losing 104-97 on Saturday. Gui Santos had a career-high 22 points, but the Warriors were missing several key players including Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Jonathan Kuminga.
Why it matters
The Warriors' loss highlights their depth issues, with Kuminga's departure leaving an opening for Santos to emerge as a key contributor. The game also showcased a unique Warriors lineup featuring Draymond Green, Gui Santos, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, which could be a potential clutch lineup going forward.
The details
Gui Santos, who had been a rotation afterthought earlier in the season, has emerged as a key player for the Warriors in recent weeks. In his last 15 games, he's averaging 14.9 points on 55.4% shooting and 5.9 rebounds. While not the transition dynamo that Kuminga was, Santos is a better three-point shooter at 38.2% during this stretch. Down the stretch, the Warriors went with a lineup featuring one guard (Brandin Podziemski), two power forwards (Green, Santos) and two centers (Porzingis, Horford), which was able to shut out the Thunder for over 3 minutes but only scored 3 points in that span.
- The game was played on Saturday, March 8, 2026 at Paycom Center.
The players
Gui Santos
A second-year forward for the Golden State Warriors who has emerged as a key contributor, averaging 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds over his last 15 games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The star guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder who scored a game-high 27 points, including the dagger three-pointer to seal the win.
Draymond Green
The veteran forward for the Golden State Warriors who chipped in 16 points in the losing effort.
Jonathan Kuminga
The young forward for the Golden State Warriors who was traded away, leading to more playing time for Gui Santos.
Stephen Curry
The star point guard for the Golden State Warriors who was inactive for the game due to injury.
What they’re saying
“If Kuminga had decided to put all of his focus into helping the Warriors any way he can, it's likely he'd still be on the roster and we wouldn't have this Santos emergence.”
— Joey Akeley, Author (yardbarker.com)
What’s next
The Warriors will look to bounce back in their next game as they continue to navigate injuries and roster changes.
The takeaway
The Warriors' loss to the Thunder showcases the team's depth issues, with Gui Santos' emergence as a key contributor partially offsetting the departure of Jonathan Kuminga. The unique lineup featuring multiple big men could be a potential clutch option for the Warriors going forward.
