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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Warriors face the Pelicans on Friday at the Chase Center in San Francisco. This is going to be the third and final game, with the Pelicans in control of Stephen Curry and Co’s destiny this time. Pelicans are currently at the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings, with their recent win 135-123 over the Kings on Thursday. On the other hand, the Warriors hold the 9th spot in the West, with their most recent win, 100-92 against Portland. The Warriors desperately need to win this one to make it to the postseason. So, the natural question here arises: will Stephen Curry be playing tonight?

Well, as per Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry is most definitely going to suit up and play for tonight’s matchup against the Pelicans, as tweeted by Joe Viray and NBA writer for the Golden State of Mind, The Dub Nation HQ, and SB Nation NBA.

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Fans eagerly anticipate Curry in this particular matchup, since a lot is on the line. Riding high in a massive win streak for quite some time, the Warriors were able to resist the Rockets in the race for a playoff spot. Apart from the Mavericks, they haven’t lost a single game the last 10 times. And before entering tonight’s matchup, they emerged with a big W over Portland, propelled by their late fourth-quarter surge. Even if they were barely trailing off, they somehow managed to pull through in the nail-biting game.

And a lot relies on Steph Curry tonight, just like their previous game, since they were missing Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Tonight as well, both Green and Thompson are “questionable”, along with Gary Payton II. So if they show up, their starting lineups could look something like this:

PG: Stephen Curry, SG: Klay Thompson, SF: Andrew Wiggins, PF: Draymond Green, Center: Trayce Jackson Davis. 

As for the Pelicans, Larry Nance Jr. is “questionable” with Brandon Ingram listed as “out” because of his knee bone bruise. Ingram could start showing up by the time playoffs actually start. For tonight, their starting lineup could look like:

PG: CJ McCollum, SG: Herb Jones, SF: Trey Murphy, PF: Zion Williamson, and Center: Jonas Valanciunas. 

Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans – Match Preview

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GSW has struggled recently, especially with their offense, evidently their 100-point average output against other struggling teams. With Steph Curry’s inconsistencies because of his injuries, and other health concerns hovering over their roster, the Warriors have been experimenting with their match plays lineups throughout the season.

And as for Steph Curry, despite facing difficulties in the recent past, he still was able to give out 22 points on 8 of 22 shooting from the field, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, pretty versatile for someone with severe injuries.

On the other hand, the Pelicans are quietly rising as a powerful franchise in the West, owing to their unshakable spirit, their defensive strategies, and their impressive lineup. In their previous encounter, they were able to put a damper on the Warriors’ 105-point of hope. But, even with their defensive gameplay and team prowess, the Pelicans’ recent back-to-back situation might as well lead them to take up a rather slow place tonight.

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Overall, New Orleans is averaging 114.9 points each game, with a spectacular shooting percentage with 48.6% accuracy from the field, and a strong 37.8% 3-point range shooting accuracy.

Read More: What Happened to Zion Williamson? Pelicans Star Heads to Locker Room After Scary Injury