After the Wolves’ victory over OKC by three points, the Warriors had to win by 12 points or more to win Group C and qualify for the quarterfinals of the NBA tournament. Behind 24 points from the trio Stephen Curry (29 points) – Andrew Wiggins (29 points) – Klay Thompson (20 points), Steve Kerr’s players quickly take the lead, eight lengths ahead (37-29).
A 9-1 from Golden State even pushes the gap to +16 (46-30) The Kings defense continues to take on water while Gary Payton II and Draymond Green terrorize the Sacramento attack. Curry, Thompson, and Wiggins continue their festival and a 3-pointer from the Canadian places the locals 24 lengths (72-48). Three lost balls from Warriors, however, allowed Harrison Barnes to launch a 7-0 for the Kings in the last minute of the half to stop the bleeding (72-55).
The incorrigible Warriors!
Steve Kerr’s men manage to maintain their lead but they begin to fall back into their mistakes. They made 11 fouls in the third quarter to give the Kings 14 free throws! De’Aaron Fox, 11 points in the period, then took the opportunity to bring Sacramento below 10 points (104-95).
On their momentum, the Kings started the last quarter with a 16-6 behind an untenable Fox and two 3-pointers from Sasha Vezenkov to regain the advantage (111-110)! In an atmosphere worthy of the playoffs, it is Moses Moody, until then silent, who revives Golden State with two winning shots in a row.
With qualification now out of reach, the Warriors still seem on track to win the match with a five-point lead and 58 seconds to play (123-118). And yet, the Kings will pull off the perfect heist. Two lost balls in a row, the 19th and 20th of the match for Golden State, give Sacramento a match point. Malik Monk (21 points), well defended by Andrew Wiggins, scores a prayer with the board with 7 seconds to play! Curry will have one last chance but his attempt from distance fails on the front of the circle.
The perfect night for the Kings : they beat the Warriors, win Group C, and will host the Pelicans in the quarter-finals of this first NBA tournament.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Kings defense rises to challenge. After conceding 104 points in three quarters with the Warriors shooting 55% and 42% from 3-point range, the Kings tightened the screws in the last quarter. They limited Golden State to 6/21 on shots, including taking two shots on Stephen Curry from midfield to force him to pass. His teammates, with the exception of Moses Moody, were unable to make Sacramento pay. In the end, the Kings won the game by causing 20 loose balls from Golden State, generating 26 points!
– Three errors of Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green who are expensive. With three minutes to play, Stephen Curry receives an offensive foul for throwing his foot towards a Kings defender on a 3-point shot. The gesture is obvious and yet Steve Kerr “challenges” the decision. The referees confirm the foul and Kerr loses his last timeout. This error will be fundamental. The Warriors will shoot themselves in the foot in the last minute with two lost balls in quick succession from Curry and Green.
– Chris Paul and Gary Payton II out with injury. Absences continue to hit the Warriors. This time it was Chris Paul who left his partners at the end of the first quarter limping, hit in the left leg. At the end of the third quarter, it was Gary Payton II who followed CP3 to the locker room, after a shock to the shin of his right leg.
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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.
