Home is an oasis for the Warriors. So this upcoming mini home stand off a three-game losing road trip should be something the team is looking forward to.
But the two-game home stand won’t be easy. They have Giannis Antetokounmpo and the first-place Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and Western Conference rival Phoenix Suns shortly after on Monday before they set off on the dreaded road again.
No team in the NBA has a more drastic split between home and away records than the Warriors: They’re 27-7 at Chase Center and 7-27 on the road this season. Sitting in a three-way tie for the sixth seed as of Friday night, a trip home to play two of the league’s top teams could either galvanize a frustrated Golden State locker room or send them into an extended losing streak they can’t afford with just 14 games remaining in the regular season.
“Got more games in the schedule to keep figuring it out,” Steph Curry said after their loss to Memphis on Thursday. “Part of how we got here was fighting through each year, whatever the challenges were, even though scenarios are a little different, context is different, but again, maintaining the hope that we have enough in this locker room until it’s proven that we don’t or we do.
“That’s all we can do as players at this point, that’s why we show up every day.”
Can things go right? Here’s how they match up against the Bucks and Suns.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have MVP Antetokounmpo listed as questionable on the injury report as of Friday with right hand soreness. He missed Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets with a similar injury, so it’s possible the superstar will miss the Warriors matchup.
But the Warriors will have their hands full if Antetokounmpo plays. Draymond Green, who is dealing with a left hand injury, is one of few players on the roster — healthy or present — who can defend Antetokounmpo and provide much size to a completely depleted frontcourt.
Part of yet another slow start in Thursday’s loss stemmed from head coach Steve Kerr opting to start four guards — Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo. Kerr admitted the decision was “too cute.” But the staff is running with limited frontcourt options.
Andrew Wiggins’ status is still unknown as he tends to personal issues. Jonathan Kuminga injured his ankle during warmups in Memphis and could miss more games moving …read more
Source:: The Mercury News