Warriors-Spurs set to make history in 1 of biggest regular-season games ever
Even though the NCAA's March Madness tournament is garnering plenty of interest during the lowly final weeks of the NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs' monumental matchup Saturday night at the AT&T Center should be enough to get basketball fans to change the channel back to the pros.
Four games separate the reigning NBA champion Warriors (62-6) from the Spurs (58-10) in the standings, with this being the first of three meetings over the next 23 days between the Western Conference powerhouses before the playoffs get underway next month. With both sides staring at historic 70-win campaigns, and Golden State looking to tie or surpass the single-season record of 72 victories, each of their remaining confrontations are truly can't-miss events.
Never before in NBA history have two teams faced off with records at least 48 games above the .500 mark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In fact, there has never been a game in which both teams had records at least 42 games over.
The Warriors and Spurs' combined winning percentage of .882 is also the largest the league has ever seen through 65 games of a season, with the previous largest combination, .816, being recorded on April 7, 1996 when the Chicago Bulls played the Orlando Magic.
2015-16 Team Statistics
| Team | OffRtg (Rank) | DefRtg (Rank) | NetRtg (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 113.1 (1) | 100.7 (4) | 12.4 (2) |
| Spurs | 109.2 (3) | 95.7 (1) | 13.5 (1) |
Notable injuries
| Team | Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | Andre Iguodala | left ankle sprain | Out |
| Warriors | Festus Ezeli | left knee surgery | Out |
| Warriors | Andrew Bogut | left big toe strain | Doubtful |
Key Players
| Team | Player | MPG | PPG | 3P% | RPG | APG | SPG | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | Stephen Curry | 33.8 | 30.5 | 46.3 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 2 | 32.4 |
| Warriors | Klay Thompson | 32.9 | 22.2 | 42.3 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 18.9 |
| Warriors | Draymond Green | 34.4 | 13.6 | 38.5 | 9.6 | 7.4 | 1.3 | 18.8 |
| Spurs | Kawhi Leonard | 32.9 | 21 | 46.6 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 26 |
| Spurs | LaMarcus Aldrdige | 30.3 | 17.7 | N/A | 8.4 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 21.9 |
| Spurs | Tony Parker | 27.1 | 12.2 | 41.1 | 2.5 | 5.4 | 0.8 | 17.2 |
As dominant as the Warriors have been away from Oracle Arena with a 30-6 road record, the AT&T Center has always been a place of misery and despair for the franchise. Golden State hasn't won in that building since 1997, which is the NBA's second-longest losing skid ever by one team on an opposing floor.
Factoring in the team's slew of injuries, as well as San Antonio's undefeated record at home, head coach Steve Kerr's crew are in a position they're not accustomed to being in - that of an underdog.
- With h/t to ESPN's Tom Haberstroh and the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons