Warriors’ Curry says of Spurs, ‘They’re the standard’

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Warriors head coach Steve Kerr played four of his 15 NBA seasons with San Antonio, including winning the 2003 title with the Spurs in his final year.

“I know them pretty well,” Kerr said in advance of Monday’s much-anticipated matchup between the Warriors and Spurs. “It’s remarkable to me that I’m 50 years old and have been retired for 13 years, and they have three guys and a coach who are still on that team.

“It makes no sense. The continuity and the program they’ve built is amazing.”

There have been 221 head-coaching changes in the NBA since Gregg Popovich took over the Spurs in 1996. There are five active NBA players who have spent 13 seasons with the same team, and San Antonio accounts for three of them.

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are the winningest trio in the history of the NBA, having compiled 565 victories — 25 more than Boston’s Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

“That’s why they’re legends, or why they’re going to be legends when they’re done,” Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said. “Obviously, those three guys and Coach Popovich are the main foundation of that, but they’ve been able to add pieces as they’ve gone through their careers and stay at a high level. It’s a lot about the tone and atmosphere and expectations that they set.

“When you wear a Spurs uniform, you better be ready to elevate your game to their level. That’s the most impressive thing. … They’re the standard.”

The Warriors might be the golden standard to the Spurs’ excellence in silver and black, equally impressive this season and setting up a measuring-stick game the likes of which the NBA has never seen.

Spurs' Tony Parker, 9 and Warriors' Stephen Curry, 30 battle for a ball during the first half, as the Golden State Warriors take on the San Antonio Spurs in NBA action at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Fri. Feb. 20, 2015. less Spurs' Tony Parker, 9 and Warriors' Stephen Curry, 30 battle for a ball during the first half, as the Golden State Warriors take on the San Antonio Spurs in NBA action at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Fri. ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Warriors’ Curry says of Spurs, ‘They’re the standard’ 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

The league had never had two 35-win teams in the first 41 games until this season, and the Warriors (40-4) and Spurs (38-6) show no signs of letdowns. The Warriors have won 11 of their past 13, including 30-point drubbings at Cleveland and Chicago, and the Spurs have won 13 in a row.

The two teams are among the league leaders in most statistical categories, including the most important numbers. The Spurs are No. 1 in point differential (plus-14.5), and the Warriors are second at 12.1.

The Warriors are tops in offensive rating, scoring 112.7 points per 100 possessions, and the Spurs are third at 108.8. The Spurs are No. 1 in defensive rating, allowing 93.5 points per 100 possessions, and the Warriors are second at 99.0.

“It’s great for the NBA and great for us,” Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson said. “It’s going to be a good test for us. It’s such a close race for that No. 1 spot, and San Antonio is playing beautiful ball. It’s going to be fun.”

The Warriors lead the Spurs by two games atop the Western Conference standings as they head into the matchup, which would be just another regular-season game in January if it weren’t so vital.

The No. 1 seed in the West will be able to avoid playing Oklahoma City in the second round and will qualify to have home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals, which most expect will be a rematch between the Warriors and Spurs.

The Warriors have won 38 consecutive regular-season home games, and the Spurs have won 33 straight. The Warriors haven’t won a regular-season game in San Antonio since Duncan entered the league in 1997.

“We’re not going to pop Champagne bottles if we win, and we’re not going to hang ourselves if we lose. You’ve got to be even-keeled,” Warriors center Andrew Bogut said. “They’re a great team that is as good or better than us right now. … We understand that we’ve got to go through San Antonio to achieve our goal.…

“The toughest thing about playing the Spurs is that they don’t beat themselves. You have to beat them, and that’s the mentality we’re trying to have. They don’t make many mistakes. You have to take the game from them and really go at them.”

Similar things have been said about the Spurs for more than a decade.