The Docket 1/20: After Road Split, Warriors Return To Oracle For 5-Game Homestand

December 1, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jarrett Jack (2) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) after making a half-court shot against the Indiana Pacers to end the third quarter at ORACLE Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pacers, 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors (26-16) return home from a split on the road to open a five-game homestand at Oracle Arena against the team with the best record in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers (32-7).

This is the first of two scheduled meetings between Golden State and the Pacers this season. The teams spit last year’s season series, with the Warriors picking up a 103-92 win at home on Dec. 1, 2012.

Indiana appears to be on a quest to grab home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference this season after losing Game 7 of the conference finals at Miami last spring.

The Pacers have won four straight coming in, while the Warriors snapped a two-game skid with a win at New Orleans Saturday night.

Golden State is 23-16 all-time at home against Indiana.

The rest of The Docket for Monday, Martin Luther King Day, looks like this:

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Cal Golden Bears (12-4) at Arizona Wildcats (4-12), 2 p.m.
One of four Pac-12 teams with one conference loss, the Golden Bears take on one of the two winless teams in the conference in an MLK Day matinee. Arizona leads the all-time series 29-27, but Cal has won the last 13 meetings, including the last seven in Tucson. Cal’s last visit to Arizona was a 78-74 overtime victory on Feb. 2, 2012 and they haven’t lost in Tucson since an 80-69 defeat on Jan. 7, 2005.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Stanford Cardinal (16-1) at Arizona State Sun Devils (15-2), 4 p.m.
The Cardinal are the last unbeaten team in Pac-12 play at 5-0, while the Sun Devils are in the same four-team group as Cal with one conference loss. Stanford comes in ranked No. 4 in the country, while Arizona State is 19th in the Associated Press poll. The Cardinal are 21-9 all-time at Tempe, with their last meeting there being a 62-49 win on Feb. 2, 2012. Stanford has won the last 13 meetings against Arizona State overall, including five straight on the road.

NHL: Calgary Flames (16-26-7) at San Jose Sharks (31-12-6), 7:30 p.m.
This is the third of five scheduled meetings between the newly minted Pacific Division rivals, but the last of the games to be played at the SAP Center. San Jose won the only other meeting this year at home, a 6-3 victory on Oct. 19, and also posted a 3-2 shootout win in Calgary on Nov. 12.

The Sharks are 23-20-6 all-time at home against the Flames, not counting an Oct. 10, 1998, loss at Tokyo, with San Jose winning the last two meetings at the SAP Center.

Tuesday Lookahead
NBA
Kings at New Orleans, 5 p.m.