https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Warriors-spared-from-wave-of-injuries-hitting-17120443.php

If the basketball gods exist, presiding over the karmic order of things, they’ve been hovering over the Warriors lately. Injuries are threatening to tarnish the NBA playoffs, and Golden State got a couple of scares in Thursday night’s Game 3 with Draymond Green (ankle) and Jordan Poole (elbow) before it became clear they’d ready for Sunday’s Game 4.

That little hovering cloud has moved on, at least for the moment, all ready to crush some other team’s hopes. Check this list of elite-level players forced to the sidelines either during or throughout these playoffs:

Denver: Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets wouldn’t get past the Warriors under any circumstances, but with these two high-powered scorers healthy, and maybe a month of on-court preparation time, they win Game 3.

Phoenix: Devin Booker, out 2-3 weeks with a hamstring strain. That’s an awfully long stretch for Chris Paul to carry the load. In terms of the MVP voting, Booker is the NBA’s No. 1 guard.

New Orleans: Zion Williamson, forever sidelined with something. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum have turned the Pelicans into a serious threat; imagine Williamson crashing the party inside.

Dallas: Luka Doncic. Whatever encouraging signs come into play, Doncic should know you don’t mess with a calf strain. There’s great danger in coming back too soon.

Milwaukee: Khris Middleton, out some two weeks with a knee injury. With all respect to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, Middleton is the team’s go-to scorer in a crisis.

Chicago: Lonzo Ball, out for the season. In the bitter end, the Bulls will miss their defense-first point guard with his brilliant passing and occasional 3-point surprise.

Boston: Robert Williams (knee). The Celtics have responded magnificently without their fierce defensive anchor. They’ll need him to come back at full strength, though, if they want to play in to June.

Brooklyn: Ben Simmons has his reasons — disgust with the 76ers, mental-health issues, chronic back problems — but he hasn’t really wanted to play all season. He’s supposed to come back in vintage form, out of nowhere, against the finely tuned Celtics?

Given all these injuries, and the Warriors’ strong start against the Nuggets, the Warriors have overtaken the Suns as the favorite to win the NBA title, according to Vegas oddsmakers.

And as we summon the Warriors’ reaction to all this, we find not a trace of sympathy.

We all remember Kevin Durant going down at the worst time. Green, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry missed a combined 104 games this season. Their collective good health is so refreshing, not to mention a blessing for the fans, the franchise and the league. If punishment is the basketball gods’ priority these days, the Warriors have done their time.