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Coming off of Friday’s victory over Atlanta, the Warriors will continue their homestand on Monday with a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee contest against the Washington Wizards  . Please be aware that this contest will tip off at 1 p.m., and another Family & Friends Offer will be in place. Packages start at $99, allowing fans to save up to $199 on four hot dogs, four soft drinks and four bags of chips.
Having completed half of their 2008-09 schedule, the Warriors are banking on a healthier second half of the campaign. Fortunately for Golden State, things appear to be heading in that direction. Stephen Jackson returned to the floor on Friday after sitting out the prior four contests with a strained right hamstring. In addition, Monta Ellis is getting close to his first game action of the season after suffering a left ankle injury over the summer. Ellis has recently returned to the practice floor, and he sat down for an exclusive interview with Warriors broadcaster Bob Fitzgerald that can be seen in our latest Warriors Blog Squad entry.
Jackson’s return paid immediate dividends for the Warriors. In addition to having the Warriors’ undisputed team leader back on the floor, having the team captain back in the lineup meant that Corey Maggette could return to his role as sixth man. Maggette responded on Friday with perhaps his best game as a Warrior, scoring 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. More impressive, however, were his game-high 16 rebounds. The Warriors have often struggled this season in the rebounding department, so Maggette’s work under the boards could be a great asset to the team if he can keep it up.
In addition to the rebounding, the Warriors will need to continue to wait for their open looks on offense. Golden State has shot 45 percent or better in 10 of the last 11 games, and the team has now out-shot its opponents in nine-straight games. With Jackson back, that trend has an opportunity to continue. While the Warriors captain isn’t known as a high-percentage shooter, he is the team’s leading assist man and his presence on the floor gives the Warriors three legitimate go-to scorers in himself, Jamal Crawford and Maggette. Jackson spoke to the media following practice on Sunday. Listen to what he and Assistant Coach Keith Smart had to say by clicking here.
The Wizards, meanwhile, have some formidable scorers of their own. Even with Gilbert Arenas out, Washington has some dangerous weapons in Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. Together, the duo averages more than 40 points a game, but it was Andray Blatche who really hurt the Warriors on November 25 in Washington with 25 points and 12 rebounds. The Warriors defense will look to minimize those numbers as they look to improve to 3-1 on the homestand.
Following Monday’s matinee, the Warriors will host the Oklahoma City Thunder and then take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, January 23 before closing out the homestand against the L.A. Clippers on Sunday, January 25.
EXTRA NOTES:
The Warriors signed Jermareo Davidson to a second 10-day contract on Thursday ... Catch every segment from the most recent episodes of Warriors Weekly by clicking here ... For more stats, analysis and coverage of the team, check out the latest installment of our Warriors Weekly Notes ... All-Star balloting is now available online. Vote for the Warriors by clicking here ... Be sure to listen to Warriors Radio Roundtable every Thursday at 9 p.m. on KNBR 680.
KIA BLOG SQUAD:
Monta Ellis participated in his first full practice on Tuesday since injuring his left ankle this past summer. Watch his exclusive interview with Bob Fitzgerald by checking out the latest entry of the Warriors Blog Squad, presented by KIA Motors.
WARRIORS.COM EXTRAS:
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