Warriors at Spurs
The Golden State Warriors cruised to wins in each of the first three games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs and will look to sweep the San Antonio Spurs out of the postseason for the second straight year on Sunday. The Warriors, who visit San Antonio for Game 4, knocked the Spurs out in the Western Conference finals last spring and are trying to do the same two rounds earlier this time around.
Golden State watched Kevin Durant and Shaun Livingston exit late in Game 3 after rolling ankles - neither injury is considered serious - and is still missing All-Star Stephen Curry (knee), so taking care of business in Game 4 is the priority. "We want to not come back, limit our road travel and expand our time to rest so we can get our best guys healthy, like Steph (Curry), KD and Shaun," shooting guard Klay Thompson told reporters. "That’s our motivation." The Spurs were without head coach Gregg Popovich in Game 3 and he is expected to miss Game 4 as well following the death of his wife, Erin, but the team was not about to use the emotional situation as an excuse for the 110-97 Game 3 setback. "As a team, this is my answer," interim head coach Ettore Messina told reporters. "Individually, I guess any different individual is going through his own personal things, and it's impossible for me to evaluate that. I think everybody did a fantastic job as players, as people working in the organization, the staff, of really trying to support each other and face this moment like it should be faced -- to support a friend."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Golden State is limiting San Antonio to an average of 96.7 points in the series, and the defensive effort of All-Star forward Draymond Green is the key. "He's been fantastic, defensively," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Green. "He’s been all over the place. This is a team that you have to disrupt. They're excellent with their execution ... and Draymond is as good as anybody I’ve ever seen in terms of recognizing a play and blowing it up." Offensively, Golden State is leaning on Durant (an average of 27.3 points in the series) and Thompson, who is shooting 63.3 percent from the floor and 65 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 25.7 points through the first three games.
ABOUT THE SPURS: All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge is trying to carry the team in the continued absence of superstar small forward Kawhi Leonard, who is away from the team while rehabbing a quad injury, and he turned in his second straight double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3. Aldridge is trying to find some help on the offensive end, and veteran point guard Tony Parker came off the bench and enjoyed his best game of the series with 16 points in 17 minutes on Thursday. Fellow point guard Patty Mills is stepping up as well and averaged 17.5 points in the last two games after scoring five points in Game 1.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Curry began participating in limited practice with the team on Saturday and will be reevaluated in a week.
2. San Antonio SG Manu Ginobili went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in Game 3 after averaging 9.5 points in the first two contests.
3. Green recorded four blocks in Game 3 - his most since swatting four at Portland on Feb. 14.