Warriors at Wizards
The Golden State Warriors encountered few issues with Washington in recent seasons and look to post their 11th victory in the past 12 meetings when they visit the Wizards on Tuesday. Small forward Kevin Durant plays in his hometown of Washington D.C. for the first time as a member of the Warriors, after spurning the Wizards and his former Oklahoma City coach in Scott Brooks during his free-agency situation last July.
Durant (left pinkie) returned from a one-game absence to score 27 points in Monday's 119-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and the reaction in Washington will be something to watch after he recently expounded on why he had no interest in playing for the Wizards. "I don't want to open up anything in the past, but I really just didn't want to play at home," Durant told the Washington Post. "It was nothing about the fans. Being at home, I was so happy with that part of my life - playing at home, being in front of friends, hanging with friends and family every day. That was a part of my life that has come and gone." Washington is 0-2 since play resumed after the All-Star break and fell for only the second time in the past 21 home games when it dropped a 102-92 decision to the Utah Jazz on Sunday. "These last two games, that wasn't us," small forward Otto Porter Jr. told reporters. "In (Monday's) practice, we went back to the drawing board and tried to assess what we did the last couple games, learn from it and then move on."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, CSN Bay Area (Golden State), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (50-9): Point guard Stephen Curry missed all 11 of his 3-point shots to match the NBA record for most attempts without a make - shared by Antoine Walker (2001) and Trey Burke (2015) - while scoring 19 points against Philadelphia. Curry impressively bounced back the last time he shoot so poorly as he missed all 10 3-point attempts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 4 and set the NBA record with 13 3-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans in Golden State's next game. "I forgot to adjust to the thickness of the air," Curry joked to reporters after his team's 19th win in the past 22 games. "It happens but you have to find other ways to impact the game."
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (34-23): Washington won 18 of 21 games prior to the All-Star break and had a streak of 23 consecutive games of 100 or more points halted by the Jazz. The team that has played superb behind the star backcourt tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal suddenly needs a victory over the best club in the NBA to prevent its first three-game losing streak since Nov. 11-16. "We're going through a two-game tough stretch," Brooks told reporters after Monday's practice. We've got a couple of tough games coming up and we have to focus on that, but it's only going to help you to go through tough times."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors prevailed in six consecutive visits to Washington.
2. Golden State C Zaza Pachulia scored a season-high 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting Monday.
3. Wall recorded 23 points and 11 assists against Utah for his 11th double-double in the past 12 games.