Gameday: Warriors face tall task with no Durant against Pelicans

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OAKLAND -- For the first time since March 2016, the Warriors will try to win home games on successive nights.

They’ll try to do it without Kevin Durant. Omri Casspi will start in his place, Steve Kerr announced.

Roughly 20 hours after the Warriors cracked the Bulls on Friday night, the New Orleans Pelicans come into Oracle Arena on Saturday afternoon. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30, with tipoff scheduled for 5:35.

The Warriors (14-5) last played a back-to-back home set on March 11-12, 2016, first beating the Trail Blazers and then the Suns.

The Pelicans (11-8) are coming off a 115-91 win over the Suns on Friday in Phoenix.

BETTING LINE

Warriors by 11

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Draymond Green & Co. vs. Anthony Davis: Davis is as talented -- at both ends of the floor -- as anyone in the league and presents a challenge to any defender. Even such a fabulous defender as Green concedes there is little one can do other than make him work as hard as possible for every point while also keeping him busy on the other end. With Durant out, Green will have his hands full no matter how much help he gets from his teammates.

INJURY REPORT

Warriors: F Andre Iguodala (L knee soreness) is listed as probable. F Kevin Durant (L ankle sprain) is listed as out. C Damian Jones is on assignment with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors.

Pelicans: C Alexis Ajinca (R knee bilateral injection recovery), F Solomon Hill (R hamstring tear) and G Frank Jackson (R foot fracture) are listed as out.

LAST 10

Warriors: 8-2.

Pelicans: 7-3.

GAME OFFICIALS

Scott Foster (lead), Jason Goldenberg and Leon Wood.

SERIES HISTORY

The Warriors last season swept four games from New Orleans and have won 18 of the last 19 overall, including nine in a row at Oracle Arena.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

PROTECT THE PAINT: The Pelicans averaging 26 assists per game, second only to the Warriors and the result has been 48.1-percent shooting from the field, also second only to the Warriors. Most of the damage is in the paint, where the Pelicans rank second, averaging 53.1 points. The Warriors will try to force them to launch from deep, where they are shooting only 34.1 percent, 26th in the league.

BOOGIE MAN: For the first time in his eight-year career, DeMarcus Cousins is thriving on a team that looks capable of reaching the playoffs. He’s top-five in scoring (26.1 per game), top five in rebounding (12.9), sixth among centers in 3-point shooting (32.3 percent) and leads the league in double-doubles (15). He’s going to be a load for Zaza Pachulia and friends.

STEPH FROM DEEP: Stephen Curry needs eight 3-pointers to move past East Bay native Jason Kidd (1,988) and into eighth place on the all-time list for triples. Curry owns the NBA record for 3-pointers in a game, draining 13 last November at Oracle Arena. The opponent? The New Orleans Pelicans.

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