Warriors at Celtics
Golden State's phenomenal unbeaten streak will be put to the test Friday night at a surging Boston team, especially if sharpshooter Klay Thompson is unable to participate. Thompson, who suffered a sprained ankle near the end of a 39-point performance in a 131-123 win at Indiana on Tuesday, told reporters Thursday he was at about "70 percent" and hoped to play against the Celtics.
If Thompson is absent the 23-0 Warriors will miss a player who has scored at least 20 points in five straight games while burying 27 3-pointers. Golden State's winning streak is 27 dating to last season, which is tied with the 2012-13 Miami Heat for the second-longest run in NBA history and just six behind the Los Angeles Lakers' record of 33 set in 1971-72. Even if Thompson is available, the Celtics are one team that might be able to keep pace; they pulled into Thursday third in the NBA in shots per game (87.8) and 3-pointers per game (28), which is just a shade below Golden State's league-leading pace. Boston has won six of eight games and has scored at least 105 points in five straight contests.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (23-0): Losing Thompson would mean that Golden State is without two of its top three scorers, since forward Harrison Barnes is expected to miss his seventh straight contest with an ankle injury. In addition, reserve guard Leandro Barbosa - who missed the win in Indiana due to an illness - was unable to practice with the team Thursday and remains a question mark. Veteran Brandon Rush has seen an increase to his role on the team's five-game road trip and had 13 points in a season-high 25 minutes against the Pacers.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (13-9): There's quite a buzz in Boston around this one, as it is seen by many as a potential launching point for an organization showing plenty of life in coach Brad Stevens' third year. "I feel like it's just another game for us," guard Avery Bradley told reporters. "[The Warriors] are playing great as a team right now but we can't go out there thinking like this is the championship. It's not." Eight Celtics finished in double figures in a 105-100 victory over Chicago on Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors have won four straight over the Celtics for the first time since 1962, when the organization was in Philadelphia.
2. Golden State G Steph Curry is averaging 34.1 points in 34.1 minutes on the road.
3. Celtics C Jared Sullinger has 36 rebounds over his last two games.