It’s that time of year again—when every game feels like Game 7, and scoreboard watching becomes a second sport. The Golden State Warriors are locked in a wild three-way tie for the sixth seed, and with just two games left, the margin for error is basically nonexistent. Tonight’s opponent? The depleted but still dangerous Portland Trail Blazers. Oh, and it’s on the road. No pressure, right?

But before you chalk this up as an easy dub for the Dubs, hold that thought. Golden State just fumbled a must-win game against a skeleton-crew Spurs team. So yeah, it’s not about who they’re playing—it’s about who they have available. And that brings us to the million-dollar question: Will Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler suit up tonight?

Injury Report: Who’s in, who’s out, and is Steph driving the team bus?

First things first—Warriors fans can breathe easy: Stephen Curry is good to play. The two-time MVP is healthy and ready to chase playoff security. The same goes for Jimmy Butler, who’s been quietly doing a little of everything over the past few weeks, averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and nearly 6 assists over his last 20 games. So no surprises there.

But now for the twist—two underrated contributors may be making their return just in time. Gary Payton II (right knee inflammation) and Quinten Post (illness) have both been upgraded to questionable after missing the last two games. That’s a major development, especially for Payton, who Steve Kerr admitted was sorely missed during that Spurs meltdown.

“We’re hopeful,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game on Thursday. “Gary’s on-ball defense is huge for us. We really missed him staying in front of Stephon Castle, and it led to a lot of breakdowns. Quinten too—he gives us spacing with that second unit.” They want these guys back, and badly.

Kerr even went as far as calling Payton a “point guard on defense and a power forward on offense.” That duality was glaringly absent in San Antonio, where the Warriors looked lost on switches and couldn’t close out shooters to save their lives. With the Blazers missing nearly half their roster, this game should be manageable—but only if Golden State shows up with the full squad (and full focus).

The Blazers are broken, but so is San Antonio…

Let’s not sugarcoat this: Portland is down bad. DeAndre Ayton? Out. Jerami Grant? Out. Scott Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III? All out. Even Shaedon Sharpe is questionable, and Deni Avdija is day-to-day with a sore thumb. That’s basically their entire core.

But remember what happened on Wednesday? The Spurs had no Victor Wembanyama, no De’Aaron Fox, no excuses—and they still pulled off the upset.

The Warriors cannot afford a repeat. The playoff implications are too big. One more slip-up and they’re staring down a brutal Play-In route. The return of Payton and Post could be the difference between locking in a top-six seed or heading back into the chaos of single-elimination games.

The last time the Warriors faced Portland (March 10), Steph dropped 24 points and hit five triples. And don’t sleep on the supporting cast, either—Jimmy Butler had his first triple-double with Golden State in that game, and Gary Payton II exploded for a career-high 26 points off the bench. If both are active, this could be the most complete version of the Warriors we’ve seen in weeks.

With Stephen Curry locked in, Jimmy Butler playing like a true Swiss Army knife, and possibly Payton and Post making their returns, the Warriors have everything they need to win. But they’ve also proven they can lose to anyone if they come out flat. Portland may be shorthanded, but the Warriors’ margin for error is zero.

So the stage is set: two games left and a playoff spot hanging in the balance. Buckle up.