
SAN ANTONIO -– The Warriors may still get their piece of cherished NBA history, but they’ll have to slay some ignominious franchise history along the way.
They can’t win 73 games this season without beating the Spurs in San Antonio, a feat the Warriors have failed to accomplish in their last 33 regular-season games in South Texas.
[POOLE: With record on line vs Spurs, Warriors must dig deep again]
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That’s what will be on the line Sunday, when the Warriors (71-9) walk into AT&T Center to face the Spurs (65-14), who are 39-0 at home this season.
Moreover, the game pits the league’s top two teams in what presumably will be the fourth and final regular-season preview of the Western Conference Finals.
BETTING LINE
Spurs by 5.5
Golden State Warriors
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MATCHUP TO WATCH
Draymond Green & Co. vs. LaMarcus Aldridge: Adjusting to the San Antonio system over the course of the season, Aldridge is comfortable and thriving. At 6-foot-11, he has a distinct height advantage over the 6-foot-6 Green. Yet the battle goes, with Green winning more than his share. He’ll get help from others, including Andrew Bogut, as the Warriors realize limiting Aldridge is crucial to victory.
Steph Curry/Klay Thompson vs. Tony Parker: Parker’s penetration remains a staple of the Spurs’ offense, even if it’s utilized less frequently than in the past. Thompson usually is pretty good at cutting off Parker’s path to the paint. Both are pretty good at scoring on Parker, who always gets plenty of help from his wings.
LAST 10
Warriors: 8-2. Spurs: 6-4.
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: F Kevon Looney (R hip inflammation) is listed as out. G Leandro Barbosa is out.
Spurs: F Boris Diaw (R adductor soreness) is listed as out.
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors this season have won two of three previous meetings, with both victories coming at Oracle Arena. They took an 87-79 loss here on March 19 and have not won a regular-season game in San Antonio since Feb. 14, 1997.
QUOTABLE
“They’re a good team, that has a lot to do with it. It’s hard to win on the road in the league in general, but when you play a team that 99% of the time doesn’t beat themselves and doesn’t give other teams a reason to have an edge, you just have to go in there and take those games. They’ve done a good job of protecting their court, so we know what kind of challenge we have in front of us.” – Curry on the difficulty of winning in San Antonio