Warriors vs. Pacers (7 ET on NBA TV)
22-0
Is there anything more that needs to be said? The champion Golden State Warriors are off the an historic start with a record 22 straight victories to begin the 2015-16 season. If you include the Warriors’ four-game win streak to end 2014-15, a win tonight would push the Warriors into a tie with the 2012-13 Miami Heat for the second-longest winning streak in NBA history at 27 games. A win tonight would also set the record for best start on the road at 13-0, besting the 1969-70 New York Knicks. The Warriors are beating teams by an average of 14.9 points for an NBA record point differential of +327 through 22 games. Golden State faces its toughest challenge of the season so far against the high-powered Indiana Pacers (12-7) in what should be an incredible game. Will Golden State’s streak live to see another day?
Best Of The Best
Stephen Curry and Paul George are arguably playing the best of anyone in the NBA at the moment. The reigning players of the month are two of the top three scorers in the game with Curry ranking first in points per game (32.4) and George ranking third (27.6). They’re both posting career highs in points, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and rebounds as they lead their teams to two of the four best records in the league. Which superstar will prevail in an electric atmosphere in Indiana tonight?
From Downtown
Golden State and Indiana have two of the strongest offenses in the league, which is due in large part to their proficiency from 3-point range. They are the top two teams in 3-point percentage (Warriors – 43.7 percent, Pacers – 40.1 percent) and would be the first two teams to shoot above 40 percent from 3-point range since the 2012-13 Warriors shot 40.3 percent. The key difference for these two teams from behind the 3-point line is volume. The Warriors lead the league with an astounding 30.9 3-point attempts per game while the Pacers come in at 15th with 23.9 attempts per game.
Don’t Forget About Defense
It isn’t all offense for these squads. The Warriors rank fifth in defensive rating at 97.6 and the Pacers rank sixth at 98.1. Both teams have held their opponents under 100 points 11 times this season and are led by dynamic wing defenders that can guard any position (Paul George for Indiana, Draymond Green for Golden State). The last two games have been a struggle for Indiana, however, as they allowed their highest point totals of the season in their last two games (123 vs. Portland, 122 vs. Utah). The Pacers will need to get back to their lockdown defensive ways if they want any chance of knocking off the champs tonight.
After Warriors vs. Pacers, be sure to stay tuned for Utah Jazz vs. Sacramento Kings in the second half of the Fan Night Doubleheader on NBA TV (10 ET)!
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NBA.com staff reports
