OAKLAND – It will be a contrast in styles Monday night at Oracle Arena, which means the pivotal matchup between the Warriors and Grizzlies is the duel between the starting point guards.
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry leads the Warriors into battle against Memphis and the perennially underappreciated Mike Conley.
Pregame coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 5 p.m. with Happy Hour, followed by Warriors Outsiders at 6, with Warriors Pregame at 6:30. Tipoff at Oracle Arena is scheduled for 7:30.
While the Warriors rank 10th in pace and prefer an uptempo style behind Curry, Memphis is dead last in that category, relying on defense and Conley's playmaking in half-court sets. The Warriors rank sixth in made 3-pointers, the Grizzlies 28th.
The Warriors (20-10) are 5-2 since Curry returned to the lineup on Dec. 1. He enters the game 10 points shy of 15,000 for his career and is on pace to be the fifth player to score that many as a Warrior and the first since Chris Mullin. The Grizzlies (16-13) started well but have fallen off drastically, losing eight of their last 12, largely because the offense is sputtering. Memphis has failed to crack the 100-point barrier in seven of their past eight games.
But Conley usually plays well against the Warriors. Though Golden State posted a 117-101 win over the Grizzlies on Nov. 5, he is the chief reason Memphis has beaten the Warriors four times in the last four seasons.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Sports
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry
SG Klay Thompson
SF Draymond Green
PF Kevin Durant
C Kevon Looney
Grizzlies
PG Mike Conley
SG Shelvin Mack
SF Garrett Temple
PF Jaren Jackson
C Marc Gasol
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: C DeMarcus Cousins (left Achilles' tendon rehab) and C Damian Jones (left pectoral surgery) are listed as out.
Grizzlies: G/F Kyle Anderson (right ankle sprain) is listed as probable. G/F Dillon Brooks (left knee sprain) and F Chandler Parsons (right knee soreness) are listed as out.
ROTATION OUTLOOK
Warriors: The return of veteran reserves Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston provides a significant boost to a bench that generally has been solid all season. Iguodala missed three games with left hip soreness, while Livingston missed one game with a pelvic contusion. ... Starters and reserves are on a relative 3-point shooting binge, averaging 37.8 attempts over their last five games, boosting their season average to 30.8 per game. ... Reserve F/C Jonas Jerebko has scored in double figures in four of the last six games, shooting 54.3 percent during that stretch, including 43.5 percent from deep.
Grizzlies: Marc Gasol and Conley are Memphis mainstays, both among only six active players to spend their entire careers of at least 10 seasons with one franchise. ... If Anderson can't play, the Grizzlies may insert guard Shelvin Mack into the starting lineup and move Garrett Temple to small forward. If Anderson starts, look for Temple at shooting guard, with Mack going to the bench. ... Athletic power forward JaMychal Green has been a solid player for years and continues to be this team's best reserve. ... Memphis has failed to make at least 10 3-pointers in seven consecutive games, averaging 7.3 makes per game during that span.
