Category: NBA

IN JURY REPORT 8:30 P.M. THURSDAY

Golden State Warriors Bowman, Ky Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Green, Draymond Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Soreness
Looney, Kevon Out Injury/Illness – Left Hip; Soreness
Smailagic, Alen Out Injury/Illness – Right Quadriceps; Contusion
Thompson, Klay Out Injury/Illness – Left Acl; Rehabilitation
Toronto Raptors Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way
Gasol, Marc Doubtful Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness
Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Ibaka, Serge Probable Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness
VanVleet, Fred Doubtful Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Soreness
Watson, Paul Out G League – Two-Way

INJURY REPORT 5:30 P.M. THURSDAY

Golden State Warriors Bowman, Ky Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Game Date Game Time Matchup Team Player Name Current Status Reason
Green, Draymond Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Soreness
Looney, Kevon Out Injury/Illness – Left Hip; Soreness
Smailagic, Alen Out Injury/Illness – Right Quadriceps; Contusion
Thompson, Klay Out Injury/Illness – Left Acl; Rehabilitation
Toronto Raptors Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way
Gasol, Marc Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness
Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain
Ibaka, Serge Questionable Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness
VanVleet, Fred Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Soreness
Watson, Paul Out G League – Two-Way

Stephen Curry will return to the Golden State Warriors lineup Thursday night against the NBA champion Toronto Raptors — a rematch of last season’s final — and he expects to be limited to between 24-28 minutes

He has missed 58 games since suffering a broken bone in his left hand against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 30. The hand required two surgeries.

“It feels like the first day of school all over again, which is exciting,” Curry told reporters in San Francisco at the Warriors shootaround.said. “I feel pretty comfortable and pretty confident with where I’m at physically. I’m excited to get back out there.” 

The anticipation ahead of Curry’s return is palpable. After shootaround at the Chase Center.

Meanwhile, the Raptors listed three players as questionable for the game — Marc Gasol (hamstring), Serge Ibaka (knee) and Fred VanVleet (shoulder). Gasol has missed 14 games and Ibaka and VanVleet three each. Ibaka and VanVleet indicated before Tuesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns that they hoped to play Thursday, the third of a five-game Western Conference road trip.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he intends to play Curry in in five- or six-minute bursts while keeping his minute total about 25 on Thursday. 

Curry will be trying to end a career-long losing streak at home. When the Warriors lost to the Suns on Oct. 30 after Curry left with a broken hand, it marked the fifth straight loss at home for the Warriors with Curry was in the lineup. The previous worst had been four consecutive losses with the All-Star guard in the lineup.  

Curry and the Warriors dropped three consecutive  home games at Oracle in the NBA Finals against the Raptors in June, including a 114-110 defeat in Toronto’s title-clinching Game 6 win on June 13. And then the Warriors dropped both of their games at Chase Center with Curry playing in  October.  

Both teams are coming off victories on Tuesday. The Warriors startled the Nuggets 116-100 at Denver for only their 14th win this season. Toronto won 123-114 at Phoenix. 

According to STATS:

1. Five Raptors (Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell) are averaging at least 15.0 points this season, making Toronto the only team with five players doing so (min. 40 games).
2. Golden State has won two of its last three games, allowing 100 points or fewer in each of the two wins. In their first 59 games this season, the Warriors only held opponents to 100 points or fewer 10 times.
3. Pascal Siakam scored 33 points on 12-of-20 (.600) shooting in Toronto’s Tuesday win over Phoenix. Siakam is averaging 25.2 points with a 48.9 FG% versus teams below .500 compared to 21.2 points with a 41.2 FG% versus teams at .500 or above.
4. Steph Curry will return tonight after missing Golden State’s previous 58 games. Since 2014-15, the Warriors are 297-65 (.820) when Curry plays versus 39-71 (.355) in the games he has missed.
5. Toronto ranks fourth in the NBA in three-point percentage at 37.2. This is on pace to be Golden State’s first season ranking outside of the top five since 2008-09, the season prior to Steph Curry’s rookie campaign.

https://nytimes.stats.com/nba/preview.asp?g=2020030509&home=9&vis=28