Stephen Curry scored a game-high 36 factors and the Golden State Warriors acquired again into their Western Conference first-round playoff sequence in opposition to the Sacramento Kings with a 114-97 triumph on Thursday in San Francisco.
Playing with out suspended Draymond Green and sick Gary Payton II, the Warriors continued the sequence’ home-court dominance with a primary win in three tries. Game 4 of the best-of-seven sequence will probably be performed in San Francisco on Sunday.
Curry might need been the sport’s high scorer, however teammate Kevon Looney was the most important difference-maker in a contest during which neither group shot nicely. Golden State outshot the company 40 % to 38.0 % total and 32 % to 23.4 % on 3-point makes an attempt.
Looney’s game-high 20 rebounds had been crucial. Nine of his game-high whole got here on the offensive finish, serving to Golden State retrieve 18 of its misses.
Looney additionally discovered time for postseason-career-high 9 assists after by no means having had greater than 5 in a playoff sport. He scored 4 factors.
De’Aaron Fox had 26 factors, 10 rebounds and 9 assists to tempo the Kings, who tied for the second-best street file within the NBA through the common season.
Matched up with Looney a lot of the night time, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis countered with 15 factors and 16 rebounds.
Harrison Barnes chipped in with 17 factors and Kevin Huerter 13 for Sacramento, which made simply 11 of its 47 3-point photographs.
The Warriors by no means trailed, constructing a nine-point benefit by the tip of the primary quarter and holding a 53-41 edge at halftime.
Two free throws by Malik Monk had Sacramento inside hanging distance at 84-74 within the first minute of the fourth quarter, however Andrew Wiggins hit from brief vary, Jonathan Kuminga dropped in a layup and Curry linked on an inside hoop in a six-point run that opened a 16-point benefit.
Wiggins completed with 20 factors, Jordan Poole 16, and Klay Thompson and Moses Moody 13 apiece for the Warriors, the defending NBA champs who had been gazing a 2-0 deficit in a playoff sequence for the primary time since 2007.
Donte DiVincenzo contributed six factors, seven rebounds, eight assists and 4 steals to the Golden State trigger. The Warriors outrebounded the Kings 59-53.
