Friday, January 23, 2009
7:30 p.m. - ORACLE Arena

TV: CSN (HD) | Radio: KNBR 680
Anthem: Pure Ecstasy
Halftime: Rubberboy
Limited Tickets Still Available

One of the most highly-anticipated games of the season is set to take place on Friday as the Warriors will host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at ORACLE Arena. A limited number of tickets are still available for this contest, which will tip off at 7:30 p.m. and be broadcast on CSN Bay Area (HD) and KNBR 680.

The major storyline heading into Friday's contest will be the return of Monta Ellis. After suffering a left ankle injury and undergoing surgery this past summer, the Warriors guard is set to make his season debut on Friday, he announced after practice on Thursday.

In addition to the return of one of its star players, Golden State will enter Friday’s contest anxious to erase the bitter taste of Wednesday’s devastating 122-121 loss to the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s Jeff Green knocked down a perimeter jumper from the backboard as time expired to hand the Warriors the defeat and thereby eliminating Jamal Crawford’s heroics moments after the Warriors guard scored on a go-ahead runner with 1.6 seconds remaining.

The loss was painful enough, and it certainly didn’t help that Andris Biedrins sat out the game with a sprained left wrist. The Warriors center, who had started the team’s prior 42 games, is said to be day-to-day. Already playing short-handed without Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli, the Warriors can ill afford to lose Biedrins, who ranks third in the NBA with 12.0 rebounds per game.

Whether or not Biedrins takes the court on Friday, the Warriors will need a big game from Stephen Jackson. The Warriors captain has played at an All-Star level since returning from injury, averaging 26.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds over the last three games. Against a team like Cleveland, the Warriors will not be able to afford anything less from their captain.

In addition, the Warriors will continue to look for big performances from Kelenna Azubuike and Corey Maggette. Azubuike made nine of his 10 shots on Wednesday and has converted on 45 of his last 81 three-point attempts over his last 30 games. Maggette, meanwhile, has played his best basketball of the season as of late, and Wednesday was no exception. The NBA veteran finished with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting and has now made at least half of his shots in seven of his last eight games.

With the Warriors’ offense coming together, they will need an improved effort on the defensive end to contain LeBron James. The perennial All-Star has done it all for the Cavs this season, leading the team in scoring (27.6 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), assists (6.6 apg) and steals (1.2 spg). In addition to the numbers, James has Cleveland off to a 32-8 start, which is the third-best record in the NBA. The Warriors, however, have played tough against the league’s elite this season, and will like nothing more than to notch a victory in James’ lone Bay Area visit of the season.

Following Friday’s contest, the Warriors will close out their homestand against the L.A. Clippers on Sunday before embarking on a three-game road trip next week with stops in Dallas, New Orleans and Houston.

EXTRA NOTES:
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 … The Warriors signed Jermareo Davidson to a second 10-day contract on Thursday ... Be sure to listen to Warriors Radio Roundtable every Thursday at 9 p.m. on KNBR 680.

KIA BLOG SQUAD:
Monta Ellis will make his highly-anticipated season debut on Friday against the Cavaliers, the team announced following practice on Thursday. Find out what Ellis had to say about his upcoming return and much more in the latest entry to the Warriors Blog Squad, presented by KIA Motors.

KIA BLOG SQUAD

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