The Warriors’ homestand continues with a matchup against the New Orleans
Pelicans on the back end of a back-to-back.
BACK-TO-BACK Coming off a dominant 143-94 victory over the Bulls on Friday, the
Warriors will go for their second home win in as many nights when they host the
New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena on Saturday. This will be the second of
four matchups between the two teams this season, after Golden State prevailed
128-120 in their second game of the season back on October 20th. Tipoff is
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Watch the action on NBC Sports Bay Area, or listen to
the call on 95.7 The Game and the Warriors Radio Network. FIND TICKETS
LAST TIME OUT Golden State scored their most points in any game this season in a
143-94 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Full Recap
LAST GAME’S STARTERS GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Omri Casspi, Jordan Bell
and Zaza Pachulia NOP: Rajon Rondo, Jrue Holiday, E’Twaun Moore, Anthony Davis
and DeMarcus Cousins
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES GSW: Damian Jones is on G League assignment. Team Notes
NOP: Alexis Ajinca (Right Knee Injury), Solomon Hill (Left Hamstring Tear) and
Frank Jackson (Right Foot Fracture) are out. Charles Cooke and Jalen Jones (G
League Transfer) are not with the team. Team Notes
ALL HANDS ON DECK Kevin Durant missed Friday’s game with an ankle injury, Shaun
Livingston got poked in the eye and did not return, and neither are guaranteed
to suit up on Saturday against the Pelicans. If that’s the case, Golden State
could once again be depending on their ‘strength in numbers’ to get the job
done, much like they did against the Bulls. In that victory over Chicago, Jordan
Bell (who got his first career start in place of Draymond Green) provided energy
whenever he was out on the court and recorded a career-best six blocks in the
contest. Zaza Pachulia, a 15-year NBA veteran normally known for bruising in the
paint, scored a season-high 11 points and notched a career-best six assists.
Those are the exact kind of contributions Steve Kerr is talking about when he
says the strength of the Warriors is their depth. If the Dubs are without some
of their key players on the back end of a back-to-back against the Pelicans on
Saturday, the Warriors will likely depend on their strength in numbers once
again.
NEW ORLEANS SCOUTING REPORT Lucky for the Warriors, they won’t be the only team
playing their second game in as many nights on Saturday. The Pelicans earned a
115-91 in Phoenix on Friday to improve their record to 11-8 on the season, good
enough to be tied for fourth place in the Western Conference. They are led by
what is likely the top big man duo in the entire league in DeMarcus Cousins and
Anthony Davis, who rank fifth and seventh in the NBA in scoring, respectively.
Those two combined for 70 points and 31 rebounds in Golden State’s 128-120
victory in New Orleans back on October 20th, which saw the Warriors trail by as
many as 15 points midway through the second quarter. With both teams playing on
the back end of a back-to-back on Saturday, getting off to a fast start could
prove more important than usual.
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