The Warriors will play their second road game in as many days when they travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Monday.
Warriors at HeatMonday, Jan. 234:30 p.m.AmericanAirlines ArenaMiami, FL
TV: CSN Bay Area
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Radio Network
WELCOME TO MIAMI
The Warriors will play their second road game in as many days when they travel to Miami to take on the Heat on Monday. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season, after Golden State prevailed 107-95 in their first encounter back on January 10th. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Watch the action on CSN Bay Area, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game and the Warriors Radio Network.
LAST TIME OUT
The Splash Brothers combined for 14 three-pointers as the Dubs earned a 118-98 victory in Orlando on Sunday morning. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
GSW
38-6
1st in West
118.0 PPG (1st)
45.4 RPG (5th)
31.3 APG (1st)
MIA
14-30
14th in East
98.8 PPG (29th)
44.1 RPG (11th)
21.0 APG (23rd)
PROJECTED STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia
MIA: Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Rodney McGruder, Luke Babbitt and Hassan Whiteside
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: David West (non-displaced fracture, left thumb) is out. Team Notes
MIA: Josh McRoberts (left foot stress fracture), Justise Winslow (right shoulder surgery) and Josh Richardson (left foot sprain) are out. Team Notes
SOMETHING ABOUT THE 3RD
Maybe it’s the halftime snack. Maybe it’s Steve Kerr lighting into the team. Or, maybe it’s just coincidence. But whatever is responsible for the Warriors’ third-quarter success is clearly working. Golden State outscored Orlando 42-24 in the decisive third quarter of their victory on Sunday, notching their league-leading 11th 40-point quarter of the season. That frame continued a stretch in which the Warriors have thoroughly dominated their opponent in the third quarters of their current seven-game winning streak. In those games, Golden State has outscored their opponent 239-145 in the third quarter, an average of 13.4 points per quarter. Given the fact that the Dubs have won those seven games by an average of 19.4 points, clearly, they’ve done the vast majority of their damage in the third quarter. The Dubs have now outscored their opponents by an average of 6.1 points in the third quarter this season, an entire two points better than the next closest team (San Antonio, 4.1). Monday’s opponent, the Heat, have been outscored by an average of 1.5 points in third quarters this season, the fifth-worst differential in the league. Golden State would prefer to put teams away as early as possible, but if it comes down to the third quarter, for whatever reason, it usually seems to work out well for them.
TEAM LEADERS
GSW
PTS: Durant (26.0)
REB: Green (8.7)
AST: Green (7.6)
MIA
PTS: Dragic (19.6)
REB: VWhiteside (14.2)
AST: Dragic (6.3)
MIAMI SCOUTING REPORT
Unless a wild turn of events was to occur, the Heat will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs this season. At 14-30, Miami is tied for the second-fewest wins in the league and sits 7.5 games back of Chicago for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Despite their poor record, Miami has proven it can hang with the big boys, having defeated the likes of Memphis, Utah and Houston already this season. The Heat led at halftime before the Warriors stormed back in the second half for a victory back on January 10th, so Golden State is well aware that Miami’s record isn’t truly indicative of their skill level. The Heat average the second-fewest points per game in the league, but the playing field could be considerably leveled by the fact that the Warriors will be playing their second road game in as many days.