Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox mixed for 54 factors and the Sacramento Kings pressured a seventh and decisive sport in its Western Conference first-round playoff sequence towards the Golden State Warriors with a front-running, 118-99 victory in San Francisco on Friday.
The third-seeded Kings will get the finale of the best-of-seven at dwelling on Sunday, incomes a shot at their first playoff-series win in 19 years. In addition, one other Sacramento win would eradicate the rival Warriors, the NBA’s defending champions.
The Kings led by as many as 11 factors within the second quarter and by no means appeared again, not solely conserving the Warriors at arm’s size all through remaining interval but additionally constructing upon a 10-point benefit with 12 minutes to go.
Shooting with confidence for a staff that led the Western Conference in highway wins this season, Monk led the way in which with 28 factors, serving to the guests run up a 52-21 benefit in factors off the bench. Fellow reserve Trey Lyles additionally contributed 12 factors for the Kings, who had fallen to the brink of elimination with a house loss in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Fox had 26 factors and Keegan Murray 15, with every discovering time to finish a double-double. Fox collected a game-high 11 assists, whereas Murray grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
Murray shot 4-for-13 on 3-point makes an attempt and Kevin Huerter 3-for-8 on a 12-point evening, propelling the Kings to 17-for-45 (37.8 p.c) success from past the arc. Sacramento held a 51-30 benefit in factors off threes within the sport, with Golden State going simply 10-for-32 (31.3 p.c).
Led by Murray, Domantas Sabonis (11) and Lyles (10 as a part of a double-double), the Kings dominated the boards to the tune of 53-42 general and 18-11 on the offensive finish.
Stephen Curry had a game-high 29 factors and Klay Thompson 22 for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who haven’t been in a Game 7 since profitable at Houston in 2018 Western finals en path to the NBA championship.
Curry shot 5-for-12 from 3-point vary, however his teammates went simply 5-for-20. Thompson struggled at 2-for-9, whereas Andrew Wiggins was 0-for-3 on a 13-point evening.
The Warriors’ Kevon Looney was the sport’s main rebounder with 13, whereas Draymond Green had a team-high 10 assists.
