The Warriors finish their regular season schedule on Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Warriors at PelicansSunday, April 106:30 p.m.Smoothie King Center
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REGULAR SEASON FINALE
The Warriors finish their regular season schedule on Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. The two teams have split the season series so far, with the Pelicans winning the most recent matchup, 101-96, on Jan. 6. The Dubs were without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green for that game, and a 21-point night from Andrew Wiggins wasn't enough to lift the Dubs over the hump in that defeat. Both teams have received some offensive firepower since their last meeting, as Klay Thompson has scored over 30 points in each of his last two games and New Orleans' CJ McCollum has averaged 25.6 points since being acquired by the Pelicans at the trade deadline.
PLAYOFF SEEDING AND MATCHUPS STILL TO BE DECIDED
The first and second seeds are locked up in the West, as is the seeding in the Play-In Tournament, but third through sixth place will ultimately be decided on this last day of the NBA regular season. The Warriors enter the day in third place, a game ahead of the Mavericks. However, Dallas has the tiebreaker advantage with the Warriors and would get the third seed if they win on Sunday and the Warriors lose. Likewise, the Warriors can secure the third seed if they win or the Mavericks lose to the Spurs.
Both the Warriors and the Mavericks will play either Denver or Utah in the first round of the playoffs. Both the Jazz and the Nuggets enter Sunday’s regular season finale with matching 48-33 records, and should they both have the same result on Sunday, Utah would take the tiebreaker by virtue of their head-to-head record with Denver.
LAST TIME OUT
Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole each schored 18 points and Draymond Green came within two assists of a triple-double as the Warriors held off a late Spurs comeback attempt in Saturday's 100-94 win in San Antonio. » Full Game Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
PREVIOUS GAME STARTERS
GSW: Jordan Poole, Damion Lee, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney
NOP: Devonte’ Graham, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Jonas Valanciunas and Jaxson Hayes
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Stephen Curry (left foot sprain) and James Wiseman (right knee injury management) are out. Team Notes
NOP: TBD. Team Notes
IRON MAN LOONEY
Kevon Looney is set to play in his 82nd game of the season on Sunday, becoming the first Warriors player since Harrison Barnes in 2014-15 to play in all 82 regular season games. As of April 7, 602 players have stepped foot on the court during the 2021-22 season, but Looney is one of only five players in the league to have participated in every game for his team. It is the second time in Looney’s career that he has led the Dubs in games played, leading the club in 2018-19 (80 games). Looney is averaging a career-high 7.3 rebounds per game this season. His 12 offensive rebounds on Nov. 10 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves was the most in a game by any player this season and the most by a Warriors player since Erick Dampier in 2004.
TEAM LEADERS
NEW ORLEANS SCOUTING REPORT
The Pelicans come into Sunday’s regular season finale with ninth place in the West locked up, which means they will host their first game in the Play-In Tournament. This will mark New Orleans’ first post-regular season basketball since 2018, and they will go into it riding some late season momentum after winning five of their last six games before Saturday’s defeat at Memphis. Guard CJ McCollum has put up some big numbers since being acquired by the Pelicans two months ago, averaging 25.6 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent on threes with his new team. Brandon Ingram leads the team in scoring but hasn’t played the last two games due to hamstring tightness. Injuries have defined the Pelicans season thus far, as Zion Williamson hasn’t played all season due to a foot injury. Without their superstar, center Jonas Valanciunas has stepped up to be one of the league’s top rebounders in addition to an offensive force who averages nearly 18 points a game.