The Warriors’ MLK Day showdown with the Cavs will have a special 5 p.m. tipoff time.
MLK DAY SHOWDOWN ON WARRIORS GROUND It’s a game that all of Dub Nation has been looking forward to since the schedule was announced this past summer. Monday’s game against the Cavs will have a special tipoff time of 5 p.m., and all fans in attendance will receive a Warriors Splash Towel, courtesy of State Farm. The highly anticipated matchup will be the third of four-straight home games for the Dubs, and it will wrap up the regular season series after the Cavs came back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the Christmas Day game in Cleveland. TNT gets the exclusive for this matchup, and fans can also listen to the action on 95.7 The Game and the Warriors Radio Network.
LAST TIME OUT What do Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry have in common? They each knocked down a 3-pointer in the third quarter of Thursday’s 127-107 win over the Pistons. The Dubs hit 8-of-12 from distance during a 41-point third quarter that broke open what was a two-point game at the half. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
GSW 34-6 1st in West 117.5 PPG (1st) 45.0 RPG (7th) 31.2 APG (1st)
CLE 28-10 1st in East 109.1 PPG (4th) 44.4 RPG (T-10th) 21.4 APG (20th)
PROJECTED STARTERS GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia CLE: Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES GSW: Damian Jones, Patrick McCaw and Kevon Looney are on D-League Assignment. Team Notes CLE: Chris Andersen (right knee ACL tear) and J.R. Smith (right thumb fracture) are out. Team Notes
CIRCLED ON THE CALENDAR During the course of a NBA season, there are two dates that schedule makers reserve for what they think will be big games: Christmas Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This season, Warriors-Cavs matchups were slated for both. On paper, it counts the same as a mid-week matchup against a team 10 games below .500, but there’s no question that Monday’s matchup will be a big game as far as regular season games go. The Warriors and Cavaliers are a rivalry in the making, and that only makes sense considering the teams have faced off in each of the last two NBA Finals and their first 2016-17 matchup did nothing to minimize the rivalry. In fact, since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Warriors have faced Cleveland 18 times in regular season and postseason games, which is as many as they’ve played against any other opponent. For what it’s worth, the Dubs are 10-8 in those matchups. Throw in the fact that each team currently sports the top record in their respective conferences and the amount of star power on both sides, and it’s no wonder that this game is slated for a primetime matchup on one of the NBA’s biggest days of the regular season.
TEAM LEADERS
GSW PTS: Durant (26.0) REB: Durant (8.6) AST: Green (7.7)
CLE PTS: James (26.1) REB: Love (10.8) AST: James (8.1)
CLEVELAND SCOUTING REPORT Monday’s matchup will close out a six-game road trip for the Cavs, and they have seen their fair share of struggles during this trek. While the y have been the leaders of the pack in the Eastern Conference since the start of the season they’ve lost three of their last five games heading into Friday’s game at Sacramento. Despite their recent funk, the Cavs have a track record of being at their best when the game is hanging in the balance. In fact, Cleveland is 14-2 this season in games that feature “clutch” situations, which basically means when a point differential is at five or below in the last five minutes of the game. The Warriors are well aware of Cleveland’s capabilities in clutch situations, as Kyrie Irving has hit big shot after big shot in the last two Dubs-Cleveland matchups, including game-winners in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and this season’s Christmas Day matchup. Obviously, planning for Cleveland starts with perennial MVP candidate LeBron James, but the Cavs, like the Warriors, are sitting atop the standings because they’re well rounded teams that can lean on multiple stars. The stage is set for another thriller, and Monday’s matchup can’t get here soon enough.
