Event of the Day: San Antonio Spurs versus Golden State Warriors
Our event of the day is the NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. The Spurs have put together three successive home wins to climb back up the Western Conference table and are very much in the mix for a playoff spot with a 40-30 record. On Saturday, San Antonio beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-101, with 39 points from center LaMarcus Aldridge. The Warriors sit in second place in the West and have clinched the Pacific Division with a 53-17 record. They were victorious at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, 124-109. However, the reigning champions from Oakland have a lot of problems with injuries this season. Point guard Stephen Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson are both unavailable, while small forward Kevin Durant is also out following a rib injury.
Long-term absentee for the Spurs is small forward Kawhi Leonard with a quadriceps injury. In his absence, Aldridge has taken over team leader responsibilities averaging 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. This will be the final meeting of the regular season between these two sides, with the Warriors better in the three previous fixtures and looking for a season sweep over San Antonio. Just ten days ago, the Dubs won 110-107 in Oakland. The champions top the statistic categories of most points (115.5) and assists (30) per game, as well as field goal percentage (50.9%) and three point percentage (39.5%). It should be a gripping duel at the AT&T Center.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NHL clash between the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets at the TD Garden in Boston. The Bruins sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 98 points from 70 games; whilst the Blue Jackets are battling it out for the playoffs, currently with 83 points from 72 games. The Minnesota Wild await the Los Angeles Kings at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. Elsewhere in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, while the Indiana Pacers face off with the Los Angeles Lakers at Indianapolis’ Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Philadelphia 76ers meet the Charlotte Hornets at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and the Miami Heat go head-to-head with the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. In the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Super Sixes match, Zimbabwe matchup with West Indies at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by NBA