Warriors vs. Spurs watch guide: Lineups, injuries, player usage

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The Warriors on Tuesday open a brief road trip under familiar and unwanted circumstances. The roster is, once again, short on healthy bodies.

The injury list is seven deep, with five players declared unavailable, and two more uncertain, as the Warriors meet the Spurs in a New Year's Eve game at AT&T Center in San Antonio. Pregame coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 3 p.m. PT, with tipoff scheduled for 4:10 and postgame coverage after the buzzer.

[RELATED: How to watch today's Warriors-Spurs game online, on TV]

With a season-high four-game win streak snapped last Saturday, the Warriors (9-25) will take the floor with the franchise’s highest New Year’s Eve loss total since they were 11-38 at this point in 1964-65.

The Spurs (13-18) this season have struggled to maintain their lofty standards. They have lost 18 of 28 games since the first week of the season and are assured of entering a new year with a losing record for the first time since 1979-80.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Warriors

Golden State Warriors

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F Glenn Robinson III
F Draymond Green
C Marquese Chriss
G Damion Lee
G Alec Burks

Spurs

F  DeMar DeRozan
F  LaMarcus Aldridge
C  Trey Lyles
G  Deounte Murray
G  Bryn Forbes

INJURY REPORT

Warriors: F Alen Smailagic has been recalled from the G League Santa Cruz Warriors and is expected to be available. F Eric Paschall (R hip contusion) is listed as probable. C Willie Cauley-Stein (Flu-like symptoms) is listed as doubtful. G Stephen Curry (L hand fracture), C/F Kevon Looney (L abdominal soreness), G D’Angelo Russell (R shoulder contusion) and G Klay Thompson (R ACL rehab) are listed as out. G Jordan Poole is on assignment with the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Spurs: No injuries reported.

ROTATION OUTLOOK

Warriors: The last time Russell missed a game, Dec. 2 in Atlanta, the Warriors started Burks at point guard. Other starters were Robinson, Paschall, Looney and Cauley-Stein. They took a 104-79 losss. Burks has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 16 games, averaging 16.6 points during that span.

Ky Bowman should expect plenty of playing time off the bench at point guard. This will be his 36th NBA day, leaving nine days remaining on his two-way contract. Lee’s NBA-day count will go up to 35, giving him 10 more days under two-way restrictions. Lee and Bowman have combined for 483 points, by far the highest total among two-way teammates this season.

The Warriors have utilized 20 different starting lineups and are 4-3 in games with Lee in the starting lineup.

Omari Spellman, who slowly fell out of the rotation as the team regained its health (4.8 mpg over the last four games), could get a bump in minutes. Smailagic, who made his debut last Friday, also could get significant playing time.

[RELATED: Kerr hopes Warriors can emulate Spurs' long-term success]

Spurs: Aldridge this season has gotten comfortable with the 3-ball. He has made multiple triples in six games this season, including 5-of-6 from deep in a win over the Pistons last Saturday. He is second on the team in scoring (19.5), with DeRozan (21.1 ppg) the leader.

Key players off the bench have been Patty Mills, a Saint Mary’s College product, and veteran Rudy Gay. They are the only San Antonio reserves averaging double-figure scoring, with Mills at 11.5 ppg and Gay at 11.0 .

Mills tends to torch the Warriors with his shooting. He scored a season-high 31 points in a win at Chase Center on Nov. 1 and his career high of 34 was against the Warriors on April 26, 2012. Mills last Saturday moved past Dell Curry (Charlotte) is career triples of the bench for one team. He has 801, Curry retired with 800. No. 1 is Spurs legend Manu Ginobili (929)

The Spurs are No. 4 in bench scoring, averaging 44.7 ppg, and No. 3 in bench rebounding (20.4). They are 1-12 this season when outrebounded. Their franchise win percentage (.620) is the highest in NBA history, ahead of the No. 2 Lakers (.595).

Officials: Sean Wright (crew chief), Karl Lane, Andy Nagy.

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