Revenge.
The Sacramento Kings have eradicated the Warriors with a 118-94 play-in event win, avenging their NBA playoffs loss to Golden State final yr.
With it, the Kings now journey to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Friday (AEST) with an opportunity to e book a first-round playoffs match-up with No.1 seed Oklahoma Metropolis.
As for Golden State, consideration now turns to a pivotal summer time and whether or not this was the final recreation for the crew’s large three of Steph Curry, Draymond Inexperienced and Klay Thompson.
Thompson is a free agent and if this does find yourself being his final recreation for the Warriors it was a tough one, going 0-for-10 from the sphere in a scoreless recreation.
Thompson, who had averaged 23.1 factors this month, was additionally focused with success on the opposite finish of the ground by the Kings.
“We want Klay again… He’s nonetheless received good years left… What Klay has meant to this franchise… we desperately need him again,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned post-game.
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Curry, in the meantime, having put 50 factors on the Kings in Recreation 7 final yr to get rid of them from the playoffs, scored solely 22 on Wednesday within the face of the relentless Sacramento defence.
As for the Kings, all 5 of their starters hit double figures with Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox combining for 56 factors whereas the ever-reliable Domantas Sabonis had 16 factors, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block.
The Warriors entered Wednesday’s do-or-die play-in event recreation as one of many league’s most in-form groups, having received 10 of their final 12, whereas the Kings had gone 2-5 to finish the common season.
However it was Sacramento who began the higher of the 2 groups, leaping out to a 31-22 lead after the primary quarter as Murray made 4 3-pointers on his method to an early 14-point haul.
In the meantime, Golden State dedicated 5 turnovers as energetic fingers from the Kings led to a few steals and simple buckets on the opposite finish.
In whole, Sacramento had outscored Golden State 9-0 within the opening quarter on second-chance and fastbreak factors whereas additionally out-hustling the Warriors for a 16-7 benefit on the boards.
The Warriors had been capable of flip issues round within the second quarter, heading to halftime solely trailing 54-50, though it wasn’t the standard suspects doing the harm.
Moderately, having embraced the youth motion this season, it was Golden State’s rising stars that shone with Jonathan Kuminga (10) and Moses Moody (seven) combining for 17 factors within the interval.
Inexperienced, in the meantime, had 9 factors, two rebounds, two assists and two steals however Curry, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had a mixed 10 factors on 3-for-14 from the sphere within the opening half.
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Any hope of a Curry-inspired comeback was snuffed out within the third because the Kings pulled additional away, outscoring the Warriors 37-26 within the quarter on the again of 14 factors from Fox.
Keon Ellis, in the meantime, was a defensive menace with three steals and simply as many blocks heading into the ultimate quarter to go together with 13 factors.
It left the Warriors trailing 91-76 and simply as Golden State appeared to be rallying, getting the rating again to 99-86 with 7:03 on the clock, earlier than a pair of clutch 3-pointers from Murray and Harrison Barnes pushed the lead again out to 19 factors.
Curry then made an uncharacteristic turnover on the next possession, summing up what had been an off night time for the Warriors.
Though it was not as if Golden State was making errors unprompted, loads of reward must be directed Sacramento’s method too for its constant ball strain.