Warriors vs. Hornets
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland
Coaches: Steve Kerr, 4th season with Warriors (235-46 with Warriors and overall); Steve Clifford, 5th season with Hornets (172-190 with Hornets and overall)
On air: TV on NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio on 95.7 The Game
Records: Warriors (28-7); Hornets (12-22)
Projected starters: Warriors: PG Shaun Livingston (5.1 ppg, 2.0 apg), SG Klay Thompson (20.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg), SF Kevin Durant (26.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg), PF Draymond Green (10.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.4 apg), C Zaza Pachulia (5.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Hornets: PG Kemba Walker (21.6 ppg, 5.8 apg), SG Nicolas Batum (10.0 ppg, 4.8 apg), SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), PF Marvin Williams (9.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg), C Dwight Howard (15.5 ppg, 12.4 rpg)
Warriors injury report: SF Omri Casspi (sprained right ankle) is questionable. PG Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) is out.
Hornets injury report: C Cody Zeller (left knee surgery) is out.
Line: Warriors by 10.5 points
Things to watch:
>>> Can Golden State contain Charlotte’s Kemba Walker? A big reason the Warriors beat the Hornets convincingly Dec. 6 was that, without Stephen Curry, they held Walker to 24 points on just 8-for-21 shooting. Quinn Cook and Shaun Livingston took turns on Walker, who ranks 19th in the league with 21.6 points per game. Finding a way to force him into another off shooting night will be big for Golden State, given that Charlotte doesn’t have many offensive threats outside of Walker.
>>> Will Patrick McCaw stay aggressive? As The Chronicle detailed Thursday, McCaw is learning to look for his own shot. He has totaled 20 shots over his past two games after averaging 3.1 attempts over his first 29 games of the season. In Wednesday night’s 126-101 win over Utah, McCaw scored a season-high 18 points, including 12 in the second half, on 7-for-10 shooting. Now, in what could be Golden State’s final game without Curry, McCaw will try to maximize extended minutes and continue to attack the rim.
>>> Can Golden State avoid a letdown? After struggling with inattention early in the season, the Warriors have been much more focused in Curry’s absence. They still tend to pile up turnovers in the first half, sure, but they’ve avoided any major collapses. Golden State’s only loss since Curry got injured — a 96-81 drubbing by Denver on Dec. 23 — was more about missed shots than a lack of effort. With Curry likely to return Saturday against Memphis, the Warriors stare down another potential trap game. Since opening the season 8-9, Charlotte has won just four of 17 games, putting it at 12-22 — six games out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets’ 43.6 team shooting percentage is second-to-last in the NBA, which doesn’t bode well against a Golden State club that boasts the league’s highest defensive rating (97.7) over the 10 games Curry has missed.
Quotable: “I kind of see openings and I’m kind of quick. Guys are not really guarding me as far as shooting the three right now. But somehow, they’re still not containing me getting to rim. I find, you know, I can get a few easy baskets here and there and the open shots will fall because I’ll be in rhythm, and I’ll have a few points on the board.” - Patrick McCaw on why he’s been more aggressive attacking the rim
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter:@Con_Chron