2 min read • March 28, 2023
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As the war to avoid the play-in contest in the Western Conference wages on, the late-night TNT matchup pits the red-hot Pelicans against the dependable Warriors.
New Orleans enters on a 5-game win streak but holds a 13-24 road record this season. The Warriors, 3-4 in their last 7, have one of the best home records in the league at 30-8.
Although the Pelicans are playing on a back-to-back, don’t expect any star players to sit. The Pelicans (37-37) currently hold the 8 spot in the Western Conference with just one game separating them from the 11th place Mavericks.
Their injury situation will not change from Monday night’s win against Portland, when the team was down Jose Alvarado (right tibial stress reaction) and Zion Williamson (right hamstring strain).
This season, the Pelicans are 17-12 with Williamson in the lineup and 21-25 without him.
Brandon Ingram played 31 minutes and C.J. McCollum played 25 minutes in Monday night’s blowout win over the Damian Lillard-less Blazers.
Both stars should be fresh and ready for the primetime matchup against Golden State.
With the return of Gary Payton II on Sunday, the Warriors are essentially at full strength from an injury standpoint.
Andrew Wiggins remains away from the team for personal reasons and Andre Iguodala is recovering from left wrist surgery, but the lineups have been adjusted to account for their absences.
Wiggins has missed 20 games after the All-Star break, with the Warriors going 11-9 during that stretch.
Iguodala has played in just 8 games this season, missing most of that time with a hip injury. He suffered the left wrist fracture on a dunk in a March 13 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry is back at full strength after missing a month with a left leg injury.
He is shooting 41.9% from 3 in March and averaging 29.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Warriors are favored by 9 points at home, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline favors Golden State at -375, while the Pelicans are +300.
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