The Warriors seek to complete a sweep of their three-game road trip Saturday night, when they face the Nuggets at Pepsi Center in Denver.
Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 5 o’clock, with tipoff scheduled for 6:05.
Coming off blowout wins over the Clippers and the Spurs, the Warriors (6-3) have moved within a game of owning the best record in the Western Conference. After a 1-2 start, they have won five of six. Backup point guard Shaun Livingston will rest for this game.
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The Nuggets (5-4), who signed four-time All-Star forward Paul Millsap in the offseason, lost three of their first four games but have bounced back to take four of five. They are in the midst of a six-game homestand.
BETTING LINE:
Warriors by 9
MATCHUP TO WATCH:
Zaza Pachulia & Co. vs. Nikola Jokic: The Warriors will have their hands full with Denver’s 6-11, 250-pound center, who is averaging 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds. He has had a 28-point game, a 16-rebound game and a 10-assist game. Pachulia will need plenty of help to deal with one of the NBA’s best young big men.
INJURY REPORT:
Warriors: G Shaun Livingston (rest) is listed as out. C Damian Jones is on assignment with the G-League Santa Cruz Warriors.
Golden State Warriors
Nuggets: F Juancho Hernangomez (Mononucleosis) is listed as out.
SERIES HISTORY:
The Warriors won two of three last season and have won eight of the last 11 overall. They have lost 11 of the last 16 at Pepsi Center.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH:
THE POWER FORWARDS: Draymond Green and Millsap are elite players who have become perennial All-Stars. With Millsap coming to the West from Atlanta, they will become more familiar with each other. Millsap is averaging 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds, while Green is at 9.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and a team-best 7.1 assists. Whichever player has the stronger game gives his team the edge.
OFF THE GLASS: The Nuggets, behind Wilson Chandler, Millsap and Jokic, are a ferocious offensive rebounding club. They rank second in the NBA in second-chance points, averaging 16.6 per game, and fourth points scored in the paint (48.4). The Warriors will have to be alert and active inside prevent extended possessions.
THE BENCHES: With the mile-high altitude in Denver, opposing teams often have to make liberal use of their benches. It will be no different for the Warriors, who play at the seventh-fastest pace in the league. They likely would need production from Andre Iguodala (a former Nugget), David West and either Pat McCaw or Nick Young.