The Golden State Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns in San Francisco on Saturday, with both teams looking to bounce back from tough losses on Friday.
Phoenix has lost four of its last five games, most recently falling 98-89 at home to the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns struggled, scoring just 14 points in the second quarter and shooting 38.6 percent for the game. Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic was ejected in the third quarter after slapping Dallas’ Naji Marshall on the head.
The Suns have been trying to manage without Devin Booker, who has missed the past four games with a groin injury and will be out again on Saturday. Booker averages 25.1 points per game, second only to Kevin Durant’s 27.5. Durant scored 35 points in Friday’s loss.
Durant spoke about the altercation with Nurkic, saying, “You hate to see that in this game, because guys will get suspended and lose a lot of money doing that. But that’s what happens when you compete sometimes — your temper flares up a little bit and you go overboard… Being frustrated out there, sometimes you do things that you regret after the game, so hopefully we can move on from it.”
If Nurkic is suspended, the Suns will be without his 8.8 points and team-leading 9.5 rebounds per game.
Golden State had similar shooting struggles in its 102-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, shooting 36.8 percent from the field and just 18.4 percent (7-for-38) on 3-pointers. The Warriors trailed 81-62 entering the fourth quarter but cut the lead to three with 2:30 left, only to lose their third straight game and sixth in their last seven.
Stephen Curry, the Warriors’ leading scorer with 22.5 points per game, missed the game for knee-injury management. Draymond Green (8.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game) also sat out due to a lower-back injury, but both are expected to return Saturday.
The Warriors are hoping point guard Dennis Schroder, who was traded to Golden State from the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 14, can improve his performance. Schroder was averaging 18.4 points per game with Brooklyn but has only averaged 8.2 points in five games with the Warriors.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, “It’s difficult to go to a new team in the middle of the season and not know your teammates very well. It takes some time. He’s still basically in training camp. What you do is trust who the player has been for 10 or 12 years and you trust that he’ll get comfortable and settle in. It’s also been a tiny sample size that you’re talking about.”
Saturday’s game will be the second meeting of the season between the Warriors and Suns, following a 113-105 loss for Golden State in Phoenix on Nov. 30.
