NBA: Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings

The Golden State Warriors hit the road again and they are headed to Sacramento to take on the Kings. Klay Thompson dropped 52 points the last time these two teams met and 37 points in the third quarter. DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings will be looking to get some revenge on their home court and they tend to play the Warriors well at Sleep Train Arena.

Steph Curry and the Warriors want to get their 38th win of the season and it’s important for them to head to the All-Star break with some momentum.

1st Quarter

Ben McLemore got things started for the Kings with a three and a steal that led to an easy bucket. The Warriors on the other hand missed their first couple of shots. The Warriors have had good looks, but couldn’t convert and the Kings took an early six point lead. It looks like McLemore came out with a vengeance, he has 11 points midway through the quarter. The Kings were up by nine at one point, but the Warriors began knocking down some shots after the pace picked up. The starters starting chipping in evenly and the lead was down to three after a 9-2 run. The Warrior defense really picked up, Andrew Bogut was a factor and the shots weren’t falling anymore. Curry has been moving well and his activity gives the Warriors a one point lead. The Warriors finished on a 19-2 run and the led the Kings 29-22 after a slow start.

2nd Quarter

The Warriors picked up where they left off and they quickly made three buckets, while the Kings still couldn’t find the basket. The Kings were in control for the first six minutes of the game. They had not scored in eight minutes. The Warriors have a 16 point lead and they are cruising. This is the second unit that Warriors fans have grown accustomed to. They not only maintained the pace, but took up a notch. Marreese Speights looked like his old self and knocked down a couple of jumpers. The Warrior bench has outscored the Sacramento bench 29-5. The starters came back into the game after the second unit looked a bit gassed. They were able to maintain that 16 point lead and there was still a little less than three minutes left in the half. The Warriors ended the half on a 9-2 run and they led 63-42. The Dubs shot 58 percent from the field and the Kings looked beaten.

3rd Quarter

Both teams were hitting shots to start the second half and the lead was steady at 20. Everything was working for the Warriors offensively. Unfortunately, Andrew Bogut picked up his fourth foul early on in the third and the Kings were looking to take advantage. DeMarcus Cousins began to heat up, especially with Bogut on the bench. Rudy Gay really got going in the third period, he was scoring from all over the floor. The Kings got as close as 15 and without Bogut this was a completely different game. Festus Ezeli checked into the game for the first time in weeks, hoping to slow down the Kings in the pain. The Kings were down, but they had momentum and the lead was only 13. The Kings have shot 13 for 19 and Cousins and Gay were on fire. The lead was cut to 14 heading into the final quarter.

4th Quarter

The second unit comes in the final period and provides yet another spark, but they are still having trouble defending the paint. A lot of the Warrior big men were in foul trouble, which presented a problem with nine minutes left in the game. A 6-0 run helped the Warriors re-claim their 21 point lead. There was no need for Steve Kerr to bring back Curry, Thompson or Bogut. Which is good considering they have a game tomorrow against a good Mavs team. The Warriors have four games in five night, so a blow out here and there is important for them to rest their key players. The reserves got the job done and they blew out the Kings 121-99.