PREVIEW: Draymond Out As Warriors (60-13) Try To Break Losing Streak At Staples vs Los Angeles Clippers (41-25)

Golden State Warriors (60-13) at Los Angeles Clippers (41-25)

Tip-off: Saturday, March 28th, 2015 – 5:30PM PDT

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

TV: TNT (only) | Radio: KNBR 680 AM

Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors #LetsGoWarriorsLive

Projected Starting Lineups:

Warriors

PG: Stephen Curry (23.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.9 APG)

SG: Klay Thompson (21.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG)

SF: Harrison Barnes (10.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.3 APG)

PF: David Lee (8.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG)

C: Andrew Bogut (6.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.6 APG)

Head Coach: Steve Kerr (60-13, .822)

Clippers

PG: Chris Paul (18.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 10.1 APG)

SG: JJ Redick (16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.8 APG)

SF: Matt Barnes (10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.5 APG)

PF: Blake Griffin (21.8 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.1 APG)

C: DeAndre Jordan (11.4 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 0.7 APG)

Head Coach: Doc Rivers (693-523, .570)

Last Times Out

LAST WARRIORS GAME: On Saturday, 3/28/2015, the Warriors defeated the Bucks, 108-95, as Curry went 6-for-9 from downtown and tallied 25 points. Draymond Green did not play, as Kerr said he was “banged up”.

LAST CLIPPERS GAME: On Sunday, 3/29/2015, the Clippers defeated the Celtics, 119-106, in Boston, as Redick led the way with 27 points, while Paul added 21 points, 10 assists. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jordan Crawford did not play due to a deep calf contusion.

LAST WARRIORS-CLIPPERS MATCHUP: On 3/8/2105, Golden State defeated Los Angeles, 106-98, as Draymond Green paced the Warriors with 23 points. The Clippers did not have Griffin, who was still coming off of elbow surgery.

LAST WARRIORS-CLIPPERS MATCHUP AT LOS ANGELES: On 12/25/2014, Los Angeles defeated Golden State, 100-86, as Paul and Clippers kept Curry out of rhythm, scoring just 14 points while collecting 9 rebounds, 7 assists.

Game Notes

• Kerr told reporters at today’s morning shootaround that Green would not play (shin inflammation) and Lee would start in his place again.

From Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group:

“He’s fine,” Kerr said. “He’s doing really well. He could play tonight, but with what he had going with his shin, it made more sense to give him a few days off just to make sure it was 100 percent clear. If this meant anything, we would play him.”

• “The Clippers (49-25) have been on a roll since Blake Griffin (elbow surgery) returned from a 15-game absence, winning their last seven by an average of 14.9 points for their second-longest streak of the season.
  .
  J.J. Redick led the way with 27 points and went 5 for 6 from 3-point range, while Griffin and Chris Paul added 21 apiece in Sunday’s 119-106 win at Boston. Griffin was sore after taking a shot to his elbow, but isn’t expected to miss any time.
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  Paul has averaged 23.3 points and 11.7 assists over the past six to help the surging Clippers – currently fifth in the West – move within one game of third-place Memphis.
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  ‘We’ve been playing with a good rhythm, going back home now,’ Paul told the team’s official website. ‘We need to win worse than (the Warriors) do.’
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  There has been tension between the clubs since the Clippers won a physical seven-game series in the first round of last year’s playoffs. After dropping the last three at Staples Center in that series, Golden State has lost 11 of 14 there.
  …
  Jamal Crawford was the Clippers’ leading scorer in their first two matchups, but he’s likely out due to a deep calf bruise. Austin Rivers stepped up with a team-high 22 points while Griffin was sidelined earlier this month.
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  “We want to go out there and compete, because they’re the team to beat,’ forward Glen Davis said of the Warriors. ‘We’ve got to go through them on the West side.'” — Taylor Bechtold, AP/STATS