Following a huge win over the Indiana Pacers, the Golden State Warriors took care of business against lesser opponents in the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks, and are now riding a three-game win streak. However, after two relatively easy wins, the feisty Phoenix Suns will be coming into town and paying the Warriors a visit on Sunday.
Frontcourt: Miles Plumlee missed the Suns’ last game and is still questionable on a potential return on Sunday. Channing Frye and P.J. Tucker are great floor spacers and nice fits in a pick-and-roll heavy offense. As always, Mark Jackson will likely adjust his lineups to match up against stretch-fours.
Backcourt: The Goran Dragic-Stephen Curry matchups is always very exciting. Dragic was an All-Star snub and averaged 23.5 points per game in February, scoring 40 and 35 points late last month. Gerald Green has truly blossomed in Eric Bledsoe’s absence, showing off his athleticism when the opportunity presents itself and he continues to be an explosive scoring presence.
Keys to Warriors Victory:
Winning the Curry-Dragic matchup
The Suns have players who can contribute offensively, but almost everything runs through Dragic. The Warriors have only beaten Phoenix once this season (out of three games) and the Suns’ playmaker was held to just eight points. Last time these two teams met, Curry had 28 points and nine assists, but he was outdueled by Dragic, who was untoppable with 10 assists and 34 points on 10-13 shooting from the field. Both guards were very aggressive and got to the free throw line a lot, although Curry shot an uncharacteristic 3-10 on his free throws.
Phoenix Suns (36-25) vs. Golden State Warriors (39-24)
6:00 PM PST, March 9, 2014
ORACLE Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: NBA TV
Radio: KNBR 680 AM
Suns Projected Starting Line-up
PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Gerald Green
SF: P.J. Tucker
PF: Channing Frye
C: Miles Plumlee/Alex Len
Key Reserves: F Markieff Morris F Marcus Morris