OAKLAND – When the Warriors visit the Raptors on Thursday in a high-profile game for all, the stakes will be much higher for one team than the other.
Pregame coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4 p.m. with Warriors Pregame Live, with tipoff at Scotiabank Arena scheduled for 5:05. All coverage can been watched on the MyTeams app.
Even though the Warriors (15-7) are without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, this can be a statement game for the Raptors. Toronto (18-4) owns the best record in the NBA, but it also has an eight-game losing streak against the Warriors.
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SIGN UP HERE The Raptors have a greater need for a victory, simply to avoid the fretting that surely would follow a ninth consecutive loss to the shorthanded Warriors.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Warriors
F Andre Iguodala
F Kevin Durant
C Damian Jones
G Klay Thompson
G Quinn Cook
Raptors
F Kawhi Leonard
F Pascal Siakam
C Serge Ibaka
G Danny Green
G Kyle Lowry
Golden State Warriors
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INJURY REPORT
Warriors
C DeMarcus Cousins (L Achilles’ tendon surgery rehab), G Stephen Curry (L groin strain), F Draymond Green (R toe sprain) and F Alfonzo McKinnie (L foot soreness) are listed as out.
Raptors
C Greg Monroe (back spasms) is listed as questionable. G Norman Powell (L shoulder subluxation) is listed as out.
ROTATION OUTLOOK
Warriors
It’s conceivable, with Ibaka expected to start at center for the Raptors, that the Warriors will start Kevon Looney over Jones, whose greater size is a better matchup with fellow 7-footer Jonas Valanciunas, who has been coming off the bench.
Expect Jordan Bell, who averaged 15 minutes over the last three games – after averaging three minutes in the previous three games – to get an opportunity in what should be an uptempo game.
With Curry, Green and McKinnie out, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has gotten into the habit of utilizing every available player. Ten different Warriors played at least 12 minutes Monday in the win over Orlando.
Raptors
They are perhaps the deepest team in the league, with 11 players averaging at least 14 minutes per game.
Valanciunas started at center for the first six seasons of his career but was moved to the bench (for Ibaka) to suit the desires of first-year coach Nick Nurse, who wanted a quicker lineup. The 7-footer has led the team’s bench scorers a team-high nine times.
In addition to Valanciunas, key players off the bench have been point guard Fred Van Vleet, small forward OG Ananoby, point guard Delon Wright, and small forward CJ Miles. Van Vleet scored 18 points (6-6 FG, 3-3 3p, 3-4 FT) with three assists and three steals in 22 minutes Tuesday in a win over Memphis.
Small forward Siakam has been among the NBA’s most effective unsung players.