Spurs at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are undefeated at home and are on pace to set the record for most wins in an NBA regular season, yet they’re only two games clear of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference standings. The Warriors will put that undefeated home mark on the line when they host the Spurs on Monday in the first meeting of the season between the West heavyweights.
San Antonio rolls into Golden State on a 13-game winning streak and owns a better point differential (plus-14.5) than the Warriors (plus-12.1) thanks to a scoring defense that is far and away the best in the league at an average of 89.8 points allowed. That defense will be going up against a Golden State offense that leads the NBA in scoring (114.7) and has put up 126.3 points while rolling past the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers in the last three games. “It’s great for the NBA and great for us,” Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson told reporters. “It’s going to be a good test for us. It’s such a close race for that No. 1 spot, and San Antonio is playing beautiful ball. It’s going to be fun.” It has been nearly a year since the last time Golden State lost a home game, and Friday’s 122-110 win over Indiana marked their 38th straight home victory spanning two seasons.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE SPURS (38-6): San Antonio has not been challenged much of late, with only three of its last 13 wins coming by single digits. The Spurs warmed up for the showdown by winning the first two games of the road trip at Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers by a total of 41 points and are looking forward to the test on Monday. “There’s no doubt that players will look at it like more than (just another game),” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “They can’t help it. They’re playing the best team in the league and they’ll be fired up about that.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (40-4): There is plenty of mutual respect going back and forth between San Antonio and Golden State, and current Warriors coach and former Spurs player Steve Kerr continues to be amazed by his former team. “I know them pretty well,” Kerr told reporters. “It’s remarkable to me that I’m 50 years old and have been retired for 13 years, and they have three guys (Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker) and a coach who are still on that team. It makes no sense. The continuity and the program they’ve built is amazing.” Kerr (complications from back surgery) returned to the bench on Friday after missing the first 43 games and watched star Stephen Curry put up a triple-double in the easy win.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Spurs F LaMarcus Aldridge (back spasms) sat out Friday’s game but is expected back on Monday, while C Tim Duncan (knee) will miss the contest.
2. Curry has drained at least seven 3-pointers in four of the last five games.
3. San Antonio took two of the three meetings last season and is 55-9 against Golden State since Duncan’s rookie season of 1997-98.