The potential NBA game of the year touches down at Oracle Arena on Monday night, when the defending champion Golden State Warriors host Western Conference rivals, the San Antonio Spurs. The first meeting of the 2015-16 NBA season between the league’s two best teams enters with a fair amount of hype, but no Tim Duncan, as the ageless veteran will sit out due to rest and knee soreness. That shouldn’t take much away from arguably the most-hyped clash so far this season, as Stephen Curry and the Warriors put their NBA-best 40-4 record and perfect 20-0 home mark on the line.
If fans wanted to pay up to see one game live this year, this is certainly the one, as there simply aren’t many matchups between the two very best teams in the entire league. Spurs vs Warriors tickets on TiqIQ certainly aren’t cheap for Monday’s showdown ($537.42 on average, $166 to get in the door), but no one was expecting them to be. Anytime you have a defending NBA champion and as much star power as both teams possess, it’s only natural for Warriors and Spurs tickets to carry a hefty price tag.
Spurs fans traveling for this one still have time to get a good deal on their travels, as they can find good pricing on Oakland flights from Hipmunk.com, while hotels in Oakland start as low as $67 on Hipmunk.com, as well. With travel and lodging made easy, fans can relax and enjoyMonday night’s clash of titans.
San Antonio and Golden State couldn’t be playing at a much higher level, as both teams are scoring at over 104 points per game, while the Spurs have been the best defense in the NBA with opponent’s putting up just 89 points per game. San Antonio also comes in riding an insane 14-game winning streak, which suddenly has them right behind the Warriors for the best record in the NBA. A win on Monday night would go a long way in helping the Spurs inch closer to that title, while also proving they can hang with the team that is currently perceived to be the NBA’s best squad.
San Antonio not having Duncan is surely a big deal due to his crafty post work and intense defensive presence, but the Spurs are thinking about the long haul in resting their aging star. The Spurs should still present quite the challenge for the Warriors, however, as Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge are all fully expected to be ready to take on the defending champs. Leonard could specifically be key on Monday, as he could be tasked with slowing down sharpshooter Klay Thompson, or even helping contain the explosive Curry.
The Spurs have dominated this series throughout history (103 wins against 53 losses during the regular seasons) and held the upper hand with a 2-1 series advantage over Golden State last year. The Warriors haven’t been able to shake the savvy vets for some time. In fact, San Antonio has claimed 23 of the last 26 matchups. The Spurs were one of just two teams to take the Warriors down at Oracle Arena a year ago and will look to do the same again on Monday night.
