Warriors 74 - 76 Spurs
Final
  for this game

Warriors battle Spurs in Alamo City

Nov 8, 2013 - 4:13 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The two best teams in the Western Conference clash in a playoff rematch from last season when the Golden State Warriors visit the San Antonio Spurs Friday night.

Both teams come into Friday's marquee matchup at 4-1 and share the best record out west. The Indiana Pacers own the NBA's best mark at a perfect 5-0.

The Spurs dispatched the Warriors in six games of last season's Western Conference semifinals. After an offseason of big moves, Golden State wants to be considered in the upper echelon, a spot the Spurs have dwelled for almost 20 years.

Golden State comes into Friday's contest 2-0 on a current four-game road trip. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, then knocked off a gritty Minnesota Timberwolves squad on Wednesday.

That win came at a price as Stephen Curry, the Warriors outstanding point guard, suffered a left ankle bone bruise. He did not play in the fourth quarter against Minny and is listed as day-to-day.

"It's fine. I was going to try and force and get back out there but you've got to be smart long term about this being a nagging thing down the road," said Curry.

Klay Thompson picked up the slack for his backcourt mate with 30 points. David Lee had an impressive night against Minnesota's bigs with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Andre Iguodala managed 20 points.

The Warriors lead the NBA in scoring at 110.8 ppg and their plus-12.8 average point differential is also first.

But things won't be that easy against the Spurs, last season's Western Conference champions.

San Antonio is coming off a 99-96 home victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Spurs boast an All-Star caliber point guard themselves in Tony Parker.

Parker netted 15 of his 20 points in the final frame, including a go-ahead jumper with 31.9 seconds left, to lift the Spurs to a 99-96 victory.

"We expect him to give us that offense and distribute the ball," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said of Parker. "He's been doing it for a long, long time now."

Danny Green had 19 points for the Spurs, followed by 17 from future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, and 11 from Boris Diaw, who started in place of Tiago Splitter against the Suns.

The Warriors won Game 2 in San Antonio during the postseason, but they have dropped a staggering 29 consecutive games in Alamo City during the regular season.

The last time Golden State beat the Spurs on the road during the regular season was Valentine's Day of 1997. Duncan was not yet a member of the Spurs.






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