• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Warriors-Bobcats Preview

Mar 6, 2010 - 5:21 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Golden State (17-43) at Charlotte (28-31), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Stephen Jackson was deemed a team detriment prior to being traded by the Golden State Warriors. On the Charlotte Bobcats, he's perhaps been their most valuable player.

With the Bobcats on the fringe of playoff position, Jackson has yet another big game Saturday night when he faces his former Warriors teammates.

Jackson was known to lose his cool with Golden State (17-44). In September, he was fined $25,000 by the NBA for going public with his trade demand, then was suspended for two preseason games by the Warriors for what the club termed "conduct detrimental to the team."

The veteran swingman eventually got wish, getting dealt along with Acie Law to Charlotte (29-31) in exchange for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic on Nov. 16. While the Warriors have been one of the league's worst teams for the second straight season, the Bobcats have a chance to make the postseason for the first time in their history.

Charlotte got a big confidence boost Friday night, getting 21 points from Jackson in a 98-83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bobcats snapped a two-game skid to move within one game of Miami for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jackson is averaging a team-high 21.6 points and 1.9 steals. He had 30 points in the Bobcats' 121-110 victory over the Warriors on Jan. 29, Jackson's first visit to Oracle Arena since the trade.

Since then, Michael Jordan has agreed to buy the Bobcats and he was watching courtside as Charlotte beat the Lakers for the seventh time in their last nine meetings.

"Those top teams bring out the best and they bring out big crowds," Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace said. "Come to a New Jersey game and we probably have 500 people."

After losing five of its previous six, Charlotte tweaked its rotation. Coach Larry Brown used center Tyson Chandler for the fourth time since Christmas, and little-used rookie Gerald Henderson got significant minutes.

Brown said before the game that Chandler wouldn't play, but the center dressed and entered the contest midway through the first quarter. He had missed seven straight games with a left foot injury that has plagued him all season.

Chandler had six points and four rebounds in 15 minutes, providing frontcourt help with Nazr Mohammed out with back spasms. Mohammed has missed six straight games, but Brown said he could return next week.

Injuries have left Golden State's frontcourt severely short-handed. Radmanovic (Achilles') is among the injured Warriors big men.

Golden State was outrebounded 47-39 in a 127-122 loss at Atlanta on Friday night. A loss to the Bobcats would give the Warriors 10 straight road defeats for the first time since Jan. 1-Feb. 7, 2005.

Golden State, without leading scorer Monta Ellis (back), has lost three straight overall. Ellis isn't expected to play again until next week.

Corey Maggette, though, faced the Hawks after missing five straight games with a strained hamstring, giving the Warriors nine healthy players. Maggette, averaging 20.2 points, had 18 on 6-of-12 shooting.

Stephen Curry bounced back from a poor effort to total 31 points and 11 assists in Friday's loss. Curry, a contender for Rookie of the Year, was held to nine points in a 117-90 loss to Orlando on Wednesday night.

Curry had 22 points, nine assists and three steals in the first matchup with the Bobcats. Still, Charlotte has won three of four between the teams, shooting 51.3 percent (39 for 76) from 3-point range during that span.