This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The Warriors-Spurs rematch tonight at 10:30 pm ET on TNT. This is their third meeting of the season of four, and the basketball world is just waiting for tip-off to come. Without question, the main storyline of the game will be the same as the last: defense. The second time they met, Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich used an effective defensive tactic of smothering Curry both on and off the ball. This led to one of his less impressive showings of his season, and a very low scoring game. He only scored 14 points, including 1-12 3pt shooting. The Warriors themselves score 115.3 PPG, yet only piled up 79 on March 19. This can also be tossed up to an unlucky shooting night. GSW had a lot of open looks that simply wouldn’t fall like they normally would. Even though both coaches will surely be making many adjustments to their plan, it will almost assuredly be another defensive minded game.
Injuries were an important factor during their last meeting. Both Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut were out, missing a lot of regular key minutes. This should help them on the defensive end in slowing down the big man LaMarcus Aldridge. He was stellar last time and is maybe the Spurs most valuable player in a matchup like this. Another integral player on the Spurs roster that can do damage is Boris Diaw. He is a versatile big man. He was posting up defenders constantly in their last game against eachother, leading to 14 points on 6-7 shooting. The Warriors and Spurs own two of the deepest teams in the NBA, so be prepared for a lot of lineup changes, and trying to find the weak spot in the opponent’s defense.
The key for the Warriors tonight is to just keep shooting the basketball. They are the greatest 3pt shooting team in the history of the NBA and they need to stick to that. The shots will fall; keep taking them. On the other hand, the key for the Spurs to win tonight is to maintain very tight defense on both Curry and Klay Thompson. Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Patty Mills were especially effective, shadowing Curry everywhere he went.
If the Warriors want to break the ’95-’96 Bulls record of 72 wins, they’re going to need to hit their open shots and be confident, as we know they can be. Luckily for them, this game will be in Oracle Arena at home. The Spurs are trying to match Golden State’s record by the end of the season, which they have a very slight chance of doing, sitting only a couple games behind in the standings. No matter who your personal team is, respect the greatness at hand and get ready for a close one. Game on!
