The Warriors were 11-30 on the road this season. After a gutsy 123-116 win in Sacramento, they’re 1-2 in their first round series.
Draymond Green, the sixth man, scored 21 points on 8-10 shooting. He had seven assists, four steals, and every crucial defensive play in the last minutes as Golden State held on despite blowing a 12-point 4th quarter lead. Green had his first 20-point game since the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day 2019.
Golden State defeated the Sacramento Kings in their home building with a team effort. Steph Curry was 2-10 from three-point range, but he went inside, making 10-15 two-pointers and scoring 31 points and eight assists. He dribbled down the shot clock and scored a dagger and-one in the final minute.
Kevon Looney’s 22 rebounds—seven offensive—tied a postseason career-high. Andrew Wiggins had 20 points, two steals, and two blocks, one of which landed in Davis.
Klay Thompson scored 25 points in 32 minutes despite foul trouble. Gary Payton II had eight points, two steals, and four key offensive rebounds. Jordan Poole had 10 points and six assists.
De’Aaron Fox had 25 points and nine assists for Sacramento, but his broken finger bothered him in the fourth quarter. Domantas Sabonis replied to the Warriors by nailing mid-range jumpers for 21 points, ten rebounds, five turnovers, and no assists in the second half. Malik Monk and Harrison Barnes scored most of their 21 and 13 points after halftime.
Sacramento pulled within 111-110 with four minutes left, but Green stole the ball twice. With 1:35 left, Sabonis dunk cut the advantage to three, and Barnes drew a charge on Looney, giving Sacramento a chance to tie. Monk missed a three, Wiggins nailed a jumper, and Fox missed a stepback three before Curry’s Harlem Globetrotters audition finished it.
And another +3 came from shooting over a befuddled Alex Len just before the first wuarter buzzer.
In the first quarter, the Warriors ran into the same problem that plagued them all season: Defending three-pointers. Sacramento made eight three-pointers in a quarter on twelve attempts, a franchise record. Fox hit his first three triples with his splinted finger.avion Mitchell was two-for-three? Why don’t people attend four-year colleges anymore?
Golden State started with 61.9% layups. They kept Sacramento to 40% two-point shooting, but the outside shooting blitz gave the Kings a 36-33 edge. Curry was +4, the team -7. +3 from banked threes.
After a Mike Brown timeout, Klay hit a third three before a Draymond Green and-one put it 12-0. The Kings’ 0-9 three-point shooting helped the Warriors’ road defense keep them to 20 points.
Draymond Green went 5-6 with 11 points and four assists off the bench in the first half, inspired by the Golden 1 Center crowd’s booing. Unlike Game 4, Steve Kerr kept Green coming off the bench in the second half.
Kevin Huerter opened the third with five points for Sacramento. Fox drove to the basket and was whistled for foul language.