Friday’s game was a must-win for the Golden State Warriors. Not because they desperately needed a win (although they never did badly), but because there was no excuse not to win, and a loss would be a huge wake-up call. They were at home. They were playing the Sacramento Kings 8-29. And they were nearly fully healthy, as the Kings were missing All-Star Domantas Sabonis and starter Keegan Murray.
A victory was needed and an explosion was expected. And although it took a while to show up, it was indeed a blowout, with the Warriors taking a lopsided 137-103 victory.
It was clear from the start that the Warriors would put up a tough act on the Kings. It just wasn’t clear if they could stop Sacramento from doing the same. Golden State’s offense was smooth from the start, and just 2:30 into the game they already held a 13-4 lead. But the Kings team – filled with both veteran talent and electric athleticism – had a good response, and the score got close in no time. The Kings continued to threaten – a theme of the night – but the Warriors continued to respond… also a theme. The Dubs didn’t put on their best defensive performance early on, but the offense was still enough to take the lead. Behind Steph Curry’s 11 points, they led 34-29 after the first period.
Sacramento came out strong in the second quarter, while Golden State got a little sloppy – something that has thankfully disappeared from their performances as of late. The Kings scored the first six points of the quarter to take the lead, although the Warriors didn’t seem particularly concerned. Jimmy Butler III started to take over for Golden State, but Sacramento’s athleticism kept the score close. It never looked like the Warriors were in particularly danger, but they failed to take a comfortable lead and the halftime advantage was only 63-59. This was the Warriors’ game to lose, but it was also much closer than it should have been given the talent disparity between the two teams.
The third quarter was entertaining. The teams battled for over nine minutes, with Curry and Zach LaVine going back and forth. Both teams were flying up and down the court and hitting scoring shots, with the leader trading hands several times.
With a few minutes to go, the match was tied and I made a note in my summary: “It feels like they’re in control, even if they can’t get away.”
And just like that, they walked away. The veteran trio of Butler, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton completely took over in the final moments of the quarter, punctuated by an excellent two-for-one: Up front, Horford went to work in the post for a sneaky baby hook, and at the back, Melton drained a three. And with that, the Warriors finished the quarter on a 13-0 run, turning a tie into a 97-84 lead as we headed into the fourth.
Between the talent gap and the momentum, it seemed like a much bigger lead, and it soon would be. Gui Santos made a layup on the first possession of the quarter to make it 15-0, and with that, the road was open. A few minutes later, it was a 20-point lead, and suddenly it was Brandin Podziemski’s turn to take over, as he did everything from clearing out-of-bounds jumpers to drawing a technical foul on Russell Westbrook as the Kings grew more and more frustrated.
There would be no fourth-quarter collapse, or even anything resembling one. The lead just grew and grew and grew, peaking at 35 points before the Dubs settled into a clear 137-103 victory. After that tie late in the third quarter, the Warriors outscored the Kings 53-19 over the final 14:53. The eruption that should have happened actually happened.
The Warriors once again took care of the ball – a welcome change – with just 11 turnovers compared to 39 assists. Curry led that charge with 10 assists (against just two turnovers), while also leading the team with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-12 from deep. In total, seven Warriors scored in double figures, including 19 for Melton, 15 for Butler and 14 for Podziemski.
In addition to better ball control, the Warriors once again showed an encouraging new trait: success off the bench. Melton, Horford, Podziemski, Santos and Gary Payton II (who had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and nine rebounds) were phenomenal, with Will Richard also making solid contributions. Golden State’s bench outscored Sacramento 66-38…a 28-point advantage in a 34-point victory.
The Dubs are now 21-18 and three games above .500 for the first time since they were 9-6 in mid-November. They’re back in action Sunday night, when they host the Atlanta Hawks at 5:30 p.m. PT.
