The Golden State Warriors will play host to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at Oracle Arena.

After losing a game in which they came out flat from the very start in San Antonio, the Warriors (48-22) put together a nice bounce-back effort against the Timberwolves on Tuesday in what was their third game in four nights on the road. Now, they will be playing their fourth game in six nights, but they will finally be back in the comfort of their own arena Thursday. However, Oracle Arena hasn't necessarily treated the Warriors well as of late, with the team dropping two of their last three games, with losses against the Suns and Celtics, at home. However, there is good news on the horizon for the defending champions, as they are expected to get starting center DeMarcus Cousins back on Thursday night after a two-game absence due to a minor ankle injury.

As for the Pacers (44-28), Thursday will be the fourth and final game of their current road trip out west, and it hasn't gone very well for Indiana. They have lost three games in a row to the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Clippers, but they have managed to be competitive in each game, losing by a total of just 16 points between the three outings. However, close doesn't cut it, and the Pacers are slipping in the Eastern Conference standings as a result. As of Thursday morning, Indiana is just one game ahead of the Celtics for all-important No. 4 seed, which the Pacers will certainly need if their undermanned team is going to advance past the first round of the postseason. This will be the second and final time the Pacers play the Warriors this season, with Golden State winning by 32 last time around.