Golden State Warriors (50-12) vs. Detroit Pistons (23-39)
Oracle Arena - Oakland, CA
7:30 p.m. PST
Radio: KNBR 680 AM | TV: CSN Bay Area
Buddy Blog: Detroit Bad Boys
The Detroit Pistons went on a rampage after waiving Josh Smith on December 22, 2014, winning 12 of their next 15 games. A great chunk of Detroit's post-Smith success can be attributed to the rise of Brandon Jennings, who was on fire after Smith was waived. However, after Jennings went down with a season-ending Achilles injury, the Pistons' playoff pursuit took a turn. While the acquisition of mercurial guard Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline gave Detroit optimism for a late push, their playoff hopes have diminished game by game as the gap for the 8th seed has widened.
Meanwhile, Golden State heads into this game with a league-best 27-2 home record. It all starts with MVP candidate Stephen Curry, who has been cooking teams with the ability to take over a quarter and carry the team. In NBA.com's most recent Kia MVP Ladder, Curry regained the top spot in the rankings after hanging on to the third rung previously.
Then, there's veteran guys who have taken reduced roles for the benefit of the team. Monte Poole of CSN Bay Arena reports that David Lee is the 'odd man out' as Lee has registered a string of DNP-CDs in recent games. In spite of this, him and the rest of the team have bought in to Steve Kerr's master plan, willing to adjust their games and adapt during the course of the season.
Detroit is coming off the second end of a road back-to-back after losing to the Lakers at Staples. With seven straight loses, the Pistons ride into the Bay Area hoping to turn things around.
The Warriors undeniably have the advantage on both ends of the floor. Although Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe are two major threats down low, it will be tough to get going when challenged by Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green. As a floor-stretcher, Green will lure Monroe outside of the paint and cause matchup problems. Despite standing at 6'7", Green's toughness has embodied the Warriors' heart and soul all season. Offensively, the squad tops all teams in points, field goal percentage and three-point percentage per ESPN Stats. Curry and Klay Thompson should do their usual thing while Harrison Barnes will add to the scoring department.
As long as the Warriors play their game and keep turnovers low, this should be a decisive victory from the onset.
Predictions
- Steph Curry goes for 22 points and 8 assists
- Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala both drop double figures in scoring off the pine
- All starters will play less than 30 minutes
- Final Score: Golden State 107, Detroit 93