The Warriors welcome the return of an old friend Saturday when they face the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Stephen Curry will be back in the lineup.
Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 3 o’clock with Warriors Pregame. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:05. All coverage can be seen on the MyTeams app.
The Warriors (15-8) were 5-6 during Curry’s 11-game absence due to a groin strain and are coming off 131-128 overtime loss at Toronto on Thursday.
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SIGN UP HERE The Pistons (12-7) have won four in a row and eight of 10 under coach Dwane Casey, who was fired last May by the Raptors and hired four weeks later in Detroit.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Warriors
F Andre Iguodala
F Kevin Durant
C Damian Jones
G Klay Thompson
G Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
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Pistons
F Glenn Robinson III
F Blake Griffin
C Andre Drummond
G Reggie Bullock
G Reggie Jackson
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: C DeMarcus Cousins (L Achilles’ tendon surgery rehab), F Draymond Green (R toe sprain) and F Alfonzo McKinnie (L foot soreness) are listed as out.
Pistons: G Luke Kennard (r shoulder sprain) is listed as out.
ROTATION OUTLOOK
Warriors: Durant has been on a scoring binge, averaging 44 ppg over his four games. It’ll be interesting to see if he continues to scorch the nets now that need is less acute with Curry back in the lineup.
Curry’s return sends Quinn Cook back to the bench, where he’s able provide offense in relief of Curry.
Both Drummond and backup C Zaza Pachulia (a former Warrior) weigh about 275, whereas the Warriors have no one on the active roster heavier than 245. Whether they stay with Jones or turn to Kevon Looney as the starter, expect their big men to rely on speed and quickness.
Pistons: Drummond leads the league in rebounding and second-chance points. The Warriors will aim to keep him off the offensive glass on that end while pulling him out of the paint (maybe with pick-and-roll action) on the other.
Griffin, traded by the Clippers to the Pistons last January, has gotten comfortable with his new team. He’s shooting 37.2 percent from deep, leads the team in assists (5.1 per game) and has posted 10 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Detroit bench is averaging 40.2 points over its last five games, with Ish Smith, Langston Galloway and Stanley Johnson accounting for most of the scoring.