Steve Kerr talks with Monte Poole on “Dubs Talk” about the Warriors’ unexpected run to the NBA championship in 2022 and what it meant for Steph Curry.
BOX SCORING
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Steve Kerr called Wednesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings “the ultimate trap game” during his pregame media press conference, and he couldn’t have been more correct.
In front of a sellout Chase Center crowd, Klay Thompson’s last-second jump shot gave the Warriors a wild 102-101 victory over the Kings.
For much of their fourth straight win, the Warriors (4-1) looked like a team returning from a three-game road trip with little rest. They were outworked on the boards, played foul-happy defense early on, and Steph Curry failed to ignite as he has in recent games.
Instead, this was a game in which the grittier team won by any means necessary.
Curry continued to lead the Warriors with 21 points. Thompson added 14, and his final two were the only ones that mattered.
WARRIORS OF THE GOLDEN STATE
Here are three things to remember from the Warriors’ first home victory of the season.
The Magic has worn off.
The Third-Quarter Warriors were back and humming on all fronts through the first four games of the season. This time, no.
The Warriors entered the game with a plus-47 in the third quarter, outscoring opponents 142-95. So far, their lowest-scoring third quarter was 24 points against the Houston Rockets. A new low was reached against the Kings.
Sacramento started the second half on a 7-0 run and finished the half with a 24-18 advantage, putting the Warriors in a five-point hole heading into the fourth quarter.
The Warriors shot 30 percent (6 of 20) for the quarter. Dario ari, on the other hand, hit two clutch 3-pointers. With three and a half minutes remaining in the third, his first put the Warriors within one point, 72-71. His second, two minutes later, tied the game at 74 points apiece.
Chris Paul assisted on both triples.
Ari had 15 points in his previous three games, shooting 27.7 percent (5 of 18) and 27.3 percent (3 of 11) from deep. Finally, the big man on the stretch found his stroke.
Super Dario ari had 15 points in his previous three games, shooting 27.7 percent (5 of 18) and 27.3 percent (3 of 11) from deep. Finally, the big man on the stretch found his stroke.
There were some shortcomings, such as Saric’s three turnovers, mishandling some passes in traffic, and not being a defensive stopper. However, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
Saric scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc in 20 minutes off the bench. Furthermore, Saric led all bench players with six rebounds.
Even in a game that needs to be cleaned up, Saric adds this luxury. When the Warriors have a stretch big who can let it fly, they have always been a better team. When Saric hit shots against the Kings, they were always on time.
Wiggins, the Good and the Bad
Wiggins only scored 11 points the first time the Warriors faced the Kings in the second game of the season. He had 12 by halftime on Wednesday night. Wiggins set a new season high with 14 points in the third quarter.
The issue is that Wiggins did not score again.
He scored six points in the first quarter, six more in the second, two more in the third, and none in the fourth. Wiggins also played only three minutes in the fourth quarter. The Warriors finished with Paul, Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney, as well as Gary Payton II as a replacement for Looney.
Wiggins also had only two rebounds, giving him two or fewer rebounds in three of the Warriors’ first five games. There is still a lot of season left, but Wiggins’ slow start hasn’t been ideal for the Warriors.
