Warriors at Nets
The Golden State Warriors just wrapped up a three-game homestand in which they won all three games by an average of 29.3 points. The Warriors will take that momentum out on the road for the beginning of a three-game road trip that culminates with an NBA Finals rematch at Cleveland on Christmas Day and begins with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
The Utah Jazz figured to provide a stiff test to Golden State as the strongest defensive team in the league, instead it was the Warriors showing off their defense in a 104-74 drubbing on Tuesday, marking the third straight game in which they held an opponent to 90 or fewer points. "This was really one of my favorite games of the year," Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "The Jazz are a tough, physical team and we couldn't buy a basket early. I loved the fact that we stuck with it, took care of the basketball and played good defense." Brooklyn is last in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing an average of 114.4 points, but won its last two home games. The Nets held three opponents under 100 points in the first 27 games and each of those three came at home, including a 107-97 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers in their last home game on Dec. 14.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (25-4): Golden State is so well-rounded offensively that it swept its homestand despite reigning two-time MVP Stephen Curry averaging 17.3 points on 17-of-43 shooting in the three games. Curry showed some signs of breaking out of the slump with 25 points in Tuesday's win and could be in for a big game Thursday against a Brooklyn team that is in the bottom five in the NBA in 3-point field-goal defense. Star forward Kevin Durant is having no issues shooting the ball of late and followed up an 11-of-13 performance in a win over Portland on Saturday by going 8-of-14 from the floor in Tuesday's triumph over Utah.
ABOUT THE NETS (7-20): Brooklyn is at the halfway point of a rough three-game stretch that began with a 116-104 loss at Toronto on Tuesday and ends at Cleveland on Friday. The Nets dropped their last three games and trailed by as much as 23 points on Tuesday but at least got Jeremy Lin (hamstring) back into the starting lineup after he came off the bench in his first three games back in the lineup. Lin is averaging 15 points on 16-of-31 shooting in the last three contests while adding some stability to the Brooklyn backcourt.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors SG Klay Thompson is shooting 22.7 percent from 3-point range over the last seven games.
2. Nets SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is shooting 61.3 percent from the field in the last three contests.
3. Golden State took the two meetings last season by an average of 12 points.