PREVIEW: Warriors (56-13) Face Struggling Washington Wizards (40-30), Klay Thompson Returns

Washington Wizards (40-30) at Golden State Warriors (56-13)

Tip-off: Monday, March 23rd, 2015 – 7:30PM PDT

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland CA

TV: CSN Bay Area | Radio: KNBR 680 AM

Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors #LetsGoWarriorsLive

Projected Starting Lineups:

Warriors

PG: Stephen Curry (23.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.9 APG)

SG: Justin Holiday (4.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.8 APG)

SG: Klay Thompson (21.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.9 APG)

SF: Harrison Barnes (10.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.4 APG)

PF: Draymond Green (11.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.6 APG)

C: Andrew Bogut (6.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 APG)

Head Coach: Steve Kerr (56-13, .816)

Wizards

PG: John Wall (17.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 9.9 APG)

SG: Bradley Beal (14.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG)

SF: Paul Pierce (12.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG)

PF: Nene (11.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.0 APG)

C: Marcin Gortat (12.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.1 APG)

Head Coach: Randy Wittman (231-359, .392)

Last Times Out

LAST WARRIORS GAME: On Saturday, 3/21/2015, the Warriors defeated the Jazz, 106-91, as Curry started off slow but ended with a game-high 24 points.

LAST WIZARDS GAME: On Sunday, 3/22/2015, the Kings defeated the Wizards, 109-86, in Sacramento. Beal led Washington with 19 points, but Wall tallied only 9 points, along with 8 assists.

LAST WARRIORS-WIZARDS MATCHUP: On 2/24/2015, the Warriors defeated the Wizards, 114-107, in Washington, as Curry tallied 32 points, 8 assists.

LAST WARRIORS-WIZARDS MATCHUP AT ORACLE: On 1/28/2014, Washington defeated Golden State, 103-88, as the Warriors played down to their competition and paid the price for it.

Game Notes

• “Here in the #Warriors locker room where Klay Thompson just confirmed to us that he’s playing.” — LetsGoWarriors

• “Kerr says Klay Thompson is probable to start tonight and if so, have a minutes restriction.” — LetsGoWarriors

• “The Wizards (40-30) sit comfortably in the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture with a 9 1/2 game lead over ninth-place Boston, but their struggles since late January have become more than an alarming trend.
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  After snapping a 4-13 stretch from Jan. 28-March 7 with a five-game winning streak – which included victories over division leaders Portland and Memphis – Washington fell to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday before suffering a one-sided 109-86 loss to lowly Sacramento on Sunday.
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  The Wizards allowed Los Angeles to convert 52.3 percent from the field and Sacramento to shoot 50.6 percent, both of which rank among their 10 worst defensive performances of the season.
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  “If we don’t come out more focused on the defensive end than we have the last two games, then we don’t have a chance,” coach Randy
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  Wittman said. “That’s pretty much it … We were doing things from an X and O standpoint that we never even talked about doing for a defensive situation. That’s a lack of focus.”
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  Washington had held opponents to under 100 points in 11 straight games before surrendering 111.0 points per game over its last two, and now has dropped 11 of 13 on the road.
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  It’ll be difficult to right that ship in Golden State (56-13), where the Warriors are 33-2 this season with 12 consecutive wins.
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  “I wish I could tell you,” John Wall said of his team’s issues Sunday. “We played defense in Utah (on Wednesday), but we didn’t against the Clippers and tonight as well. We better tomorrow or we’re going to get blown out.” — Jack Cassidy, AP/STATS