Why the Steph vs. KD matchup will determine the Warriors-Suns outcome originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Once Warriors teammates and sparring partners after practice, they will leave opposite benches on Saturday for a brief pre-match session, followed a few hours later by a brief post-match embrace.
In the meantime, the Warriors and the Suns will face each other, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each trying to hang an “L” on the other.
Playing different positions, Curry and Durant won’t be tasked with defending – neither will have much chance of containing the other – but as the superstars of their teamtheir performance will likely determine the direction of the game.
With both teams coming into Chase Center with a 15-15 record, it’s reasonable to expect these 36-year-olds to chase victory with a vengeance. Neither would be satisfied waking up Sunday as the leader of a sub-.500 team.
Both teams fell back noticeably after terrific starts. After winning 12 of 15 games, Golden State has since lost 12 of its next 15 games. Phoenix was 8-1 before Durant went down with a calf strain in early November. As valuable as Curry is to the Warriors, they are 4-2 when he sits. Durant’s availability, however, was key to the Suns avoiding a complete collapse. They are 14-6 when he plays, 1-9 when he doesn’t.
However, Golden State is facing, as Curry pointed out a few days ago, a pivotal phase of the season. Impressive early-season stats exploded during their prolonged slump, and it’s impossible to imagine a sudden turnaround without Curry at center.
Curry averages 22.5 points per gameshooting 44.4 percent from the field, including 41.1 percent from deep. All three figures are below career averages, but he is coming off a season-high 38 points in a Christmas Day loss to the Lakers.
During averages 27.5 pointsshooting 51.5 percent, including 42 percent from distance – all slightly above his career averages. He’s averaging 33 points per game since returning to the Phoenix lineup on Dec. 13.
While Curry had Friday off in Los Angeles as Golden State was defeated by the Clippers, Durant scored 35 points in 38 minutes in the Suns’ home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Suns are missing four-time All-Star Devin Booker (left groin strain), so KD’s offense is a necessary condition for success.
While Curry’s scoring — and his presence — still gives the Warriors a chance, they’ll also need some wild defense to get out of this tailspin.
