Golden State Warriors (22-27) vs Phoenix Suns (23-25)
TV: CSN Bay Area / Radio: KNBR 680
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm PST
Blog Buddy: Bright Side of the Sun
What a difference ten days make, huh? Following January 28th's soul-crushing loss to Charlotte, I was ready, figuratively speaking, to take my basketball and go home. Maybe not give up, exactly, but you know the drill: start checking out Draft Express more frequently (learning how to spell "Valanciunas" and "Motiejunas" and "Vesely"); or pondering the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues (World Champion Giants defending their crown? Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford joining a Red Sox lineup with Pedroia, Youks, Ellsbury, Drew, and Big Papi?); or even, you know, devoting those 1-2 squandered hours a day to reading actual books, or furthering my career, or spending quality time with friends and family.
Three soul-stirring wins later, and... well, as Michael Corleone says to his dad in the hospital in Part I: "I'm with you now." What I sucker I am.
The Suns are a fairly welcome sight on the schedule, for a couple reasons: (1) despite the fact that they've beaten us in 9 out of our last 11 meetings, averaging 122.3 points a game in the process, we always seem to play them tough; and (2) a victory over them will put us a scant half-game behind them in the race for the coveted #10 seed in the Western Conference. I've been waiting for the Warriors' rising sun to eclipse the Suns' setting sun for a couple of years now: let's make this the game this momentous astronomical event actually occurs.
Now here are some things that are 100% certain to occur:
• Curry continues to blow up like a bullet with butterfly wings (or however I phrased in my most recent Curry panegyric): 27 points on 14 field goal attempts, 7 boards, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 steals.
• Lee recovers from his off-night v. Chicago with a solid 21 pts (on 8-13 fg) and 12 boards.
• Biedrins and Udoh continue to demonstrate that they have Ds in their names for a reason.
• Ellis: 82 points. We all know he's better than Kobe. Tonight he proves it.
• Warriors by 15.