SAN FRANCISCO — Late in the third quarter, when the Warriors were struggling to pull ahead of the three-win Detroit Pistons, the Chase Center crowd tried telling head coach Steve Kerr who to put in the game.
"Moody-Moody-Moody!" the sellout crowd chanted.
The fans got their wish in the fourth quarter. And when Moses Moody arrived at the check-in table and removed his warm-up gear, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
After sitting the bench for three consecutive games, Moody finally got back in the mix during the Warriors' 113-109 win over the Pistons on Friday.
He checked in early in the fourth quarter and played for six minutes. It was the first time since Dec. 28 that Moody saw some game action. He didn't score but collected a rebound.
"I thought he was great tonight, bringing a lot of energy," Kerr said. "Great to hear the fans chanting his name. He's a fan favorite for a reason, he plays hard. Being out of the loop the last few games has been tough on him but he always stays ready."
Kerr said Moody will play a lot more now that Chris Paul is out indefinitely with a fractured left hand. Paul will undergo surgery next week.
Kerr said Cory Joseph and Brandin Podziemski will play more point guard with Paul out, and that Moody will also be brought back into the rotation.
"I'm excited to get him back out there," Kerr said.
Moody's teammates loved seeing the standing ovation.
"I think it meant a lot to all of us," Podziemski said. "These past couple games he hasn't played, he's been professional about it. He's continued to put in the work behind the scenes for when his opportunity was called. Tonight was that night.
"Although he didn't make a shot, his impact both offensively and defensively was felt. It was something I felt like we needed. I felt like our team was still feeling that loss (to the Denver Nuggets) from last night. Him and Cory didn't play in the game last night. Gave us a great energy boost off the bench."
Moody's playing time, like Jonathan Kuminga's, has been subject of public debate this week.
Folks around Moody revealed to KRON (Channel 4) on Thursday that Moody is frustrated by his lack of playing time and wants a more consistent role, "here or somewhere else."
From last season to this one, Moody has nearly doubled his points per game from 4.8 to 8.2 and his rebounds per game from 1.7 to 3.2, but he hasn't played much of late.
Kerr explained that Moody has been a "victim of numbers and the direction we decided to go, but I know how professional he is. I know Moses will stay ready, and when he gets his chance, he'll be ready for it."
His chance is coming soon.
"Him getting in (Friday's game), bringing energy for our team when we needed it, it was great," said Trayce Jackson-Davis. "Hopefully we see more of it."
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