As we get closer to the regular season, preseason matches look more and more like real matches, but it is rare that a preparation match is as intense as this Warriors – Kings.
Golden State was however without Draymond Green but also without Kevon Looney. Deprived of their usual “frontline”, it was Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis who were responsible for holding down the fort under the circle, and the Kings took the opportunity to bludgeon the racket (58 points scored near the circle).
It’s Keegan Murray who particularly impresses at the start of the match, finding his spots to display the problems he will pose to Sacramento’s opponents for his sophomore season.
Opposite, Chris Paul (13 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds) starts on the bench, but his connection with Dario Saric (14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) is interesting. Except that since his arrival at Golden State, the “Point God” has lost more balls than usual, and the Warriors’ recurring problem has not yet been resolved (22 turnovers).
The Kings are therefore in the lead, with De’Aaron Fox attacking the circle at will, while another big pass from Keegan Murray allows Sacramento to move to +18 (87-69) towards the end of the third quarter.
16 points in the last quarter for Curry!
In a classic preseason match, this would be an opportunity for the coaches to turn things around but the Warriors do not want to give up, in front of their home crowd, against their Californian neighbors.
The Paul/Saric connection eats up the delay a little while the rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis displays all his maturity, he who spent four years at the university of Indiana, by converting several baseline dunks. The match is restarted, the energy is on the side of the Warriors and that’s all Stephen Curry needed.
The leader has one success after another to get back on the heels of Sacramento. And if Dario Saric misses two shots to go in front in the last twenty seconds, Stephen Curry sees Kevin Huerter miss one of two in the process. 115-113 for the Kings, with the ball in the hands of the four-time champion…
Boiling, Stephen Curry therefore plays one-on-one against De’Aaron Fox and makes a final 3-point shot to offer victory (116-115) to his team, while his opponent misses his last attempt.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.