Warriors game day: Can Golden State handle DeMarcus Cousins?
Can Golden State handle DeMarcus Cousins?
Steve Kerr, 3rd season with Warriors (172-29 with Warriors and overall); Dave Joerger, 1st season with Kings (15-21 with Kings and 162-120 overall)
On air: TV on CSN Bay Area; Radio on 95.7 The Game
Warriors: PG Stephen Curry (24.6 ppg, 5.8 apg), SG Klay Thompson (21.4 ppg, 2.0 apg), SF Kevin Durant (25.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg), PF Draymond Green (10.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 7.5 apg), C Zaza Pachulia (5.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
Kings: PG Darren Collison (12.6 ppg, 4.3 apg), SG Ty Lawson (8.3 ppg, 4.3 apg), SF Matt Barnes (7.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg), PF Rudy Gay (18.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg), C DeMarcus Cousins (28.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg)
Warriors injury report: C Damian Jones (D-League assignment) is not with the team.
Kings injury report: PF Rudy Gay (right hip flexor strain) is probable.
Though its interior defense has made significant strides, Golden State has still had issues at times with elite big men.
There is perhaps no more physically dominant frontcourt player than Cousins, whose 23 30-point, 15-rebound games over the past five seasons are the most in the NBA.
An exceptional free-throw shooter for a big man at 78.1 percent, Cousins is fifth in the league in both free throws made (257) and free-throw attempts (329).
Will Golden State improve its late-game execution?
Friday’s loss to Memphis, in which they squandered a 24-point, second-half lead, underscored the Warriors’ fourth-quarter issues.
The two-time reigning MVP has totaled 75 points over the past two games on a combined 27-of-52 shooting.