Coming off an undefeated three-game road trip, the Warriors return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
Warriors vs. ThunderThursday, November 37:30 p.m.Oracle Arena
TV: TNT
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App
BACK HOME
Coming off an undefeated three-game road trip, the Warriors return home to play three of their next four games at Oracle Arena, beginning with a game against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. This will be the first of four matchups between the two teams this season, and their first encounter since the Warriors dispatched the Thunder in a thrilling seven-game Western Conference Finals series last year. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and all fans in attendance will receive a Splash Towel, courtesy of State Farm. Watch the action on TNT, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game or the Warriors Mobile App.
LAST TIME OUT
Ian Clark provided a spark, Stephen Curry caught fire and the Warriors finished a 3-0 road trip with a 127-104 victory in Portland on Tuesday. Full Recap
PROJECTED STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia
OKC: Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Domantas Sabonis and Steven Adams
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Damian Jones (right pectoral surgery) and Patrick McCaw (sprained left ankle) are out. Team Notes
OKC: Cameron Payne (right foot fracture) is out. Team Notes
BENCH MOB
Golden State played their best game of the young season in their victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, and much of that can be attributed to the Warriors’ supporting cast rounding into form. Yes, Stephen Curry had one of his patented heat-check quarters in the win, but Golden State would have been in a much more dire situation had their bench not come through with their best all-around effort yet. Ian Clark, in particular, provided quite the scoring boost, becoming the first Warriors’ reserve to make at least eight field goals in a game without a miss since Chris Mullin did so on January 18, 1996 against Milwaukee. In fact, his 11 points at the end of the first quarter were more than any Warriors’ reserve had scored in any game this season. David West, Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala also came through when the Dubs needed them, with Iguodala posting a team-best plus-39 in only 24 minutes. Golden State has perhaps more star power than any other team in the league, but when their bench plays like it did on Tuesday, their chances of winning go up exponentially. If the reserves can keep this level of play up, they’re going to be awfully tough to beat.
OKLAHOMA CITY SCOUTING REPORT
It wasn’t that long ago that the Warriors and Thunder shook hands following Golden State’s historic Game 7 victory over Oklahoma City at Oracle Arena in last year’s Western Conference Finals playoff series. The two teams will converge upon Oracle for the first time since that deciding game, although the rosters will look slightly different. Kevin Durant is now a member of the Warriors, obviously, and Thursday’s game will represent his first time facing his old team. Durant and Golden State will be faced with an extreme challenge in the form of Russell Westbrook, who is averaging more points and rebounds than any other guard in the league. Westbrook is a relentless attacker, and how effective the Warriors are at turning him into a volume shooter could prove to be the difference in the outcome. Oklahoma City will be playing the back end of a back-to-back after facing the Clippers in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, so it could be to Golden State’s advantage to ratchet up the pace of play.