Moses Moody had waited 10 games to get back on the floor. On Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks, he returned with a vengeance, scoring 23 points in 34 minutes and helping the Warriors to a 137-131 overtime victory. Then, with just 58 seconds left in overtime, everything changed in an instant.
Moses Moody Suffers a Gruesome Left Knee Injury Against the Mavericks
With the game still in the balance, Moody picked up a steal from Cooper Flagg and leaked out ahead of the defense for what should have been an uncontested breakaway dunk. As he planted his left foot to leap, his knee gave way entirely. He buckled, crashed to the floor under the rim, and immediately reached for his leg in agony.
Play continued briefly as the ball went the other way, but it was clear to everyone watching that something was seriously wrong.
The Warriors’ bench reacted with visible horror. Training staff rushed over and surrounded Moody, a sign of how gruesome the injury appeared, while his teammates stood in stunned silence.
Steve Kerr put his hands to his face the moment it happened. Draymond Green embraced Moody as the stretcher came out.
The crowd at American Airlines Center, which had been loud throughout an entertaining overtime game, fell completely silent. Moody, to his credit, acknowledged the ovation as he was wheeled off and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd on his way out.
Kerr confirmed after the game that Moody had gone for X-rays immediately but offered little else. “We don’t know what it is, but it sure looked bad,” he said.
Moody was seen emerging from the exam room on crutches with a large brace around his knee, accompanied by Warriors head trainer Rick Celebrini.
As of now, the full extent of the injury has not been confirmed, though the visual appearance suggests significant structural damage.
The Warriors are expected to provide a further update once he has been fully evaluated.
The timing makes the situation all the more difficult to process. Moody had only just returned from a 10-game absence with a wrist injury. Monday was his first game back, and he had been in the middle of the best season of his five-year career, averaging career highs of 11.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
The 23-year-old, selected by Golden State with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 draft, had been one of the few reliable contributors for a Warriors team navigating a difficult season without Stephen Curry.
There were also concerning circumstances surrounding the play itself: Moody slipped on the breakaway, raising questions about whether the floor conditions played a role in his fall.
The Warriors completed the win from there, eliminating Dallas from playoff contention. They now sit at 34-38 with 10 games remaining, 10th in the Western Conference.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak, but the mood inside the locker room was understandably far removed from celebration. For Golden State and for Moody, the hope now is simply that the damage is not as extensive as it appeared to be.
