SAN FRANCISCO — One crew added its star guard again to its beginning lineup; the opposite’s spent Sunday evening in road garments.
The outcomes could shock you.
Regardless of enjoying with a well-rested Steph Curry, the Warriors (18-17) in any other case appeared listless in a 129-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings (17-19), who have been lacking All-Star De’Aaron Fox and fired their head coach lower than two weeks in the past. They matched a season-worst with 22 turnovers, by no means held a lead and trailed by such a big margin that Curry spent the complete fourth quarter on the bench with a towel draped over his head.
“That was the game, to me,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned of the Warriors’ carelessness. “Just right from the start, we were turning it over. The turnovers didn’t feel forced, either. They felt more decision-based, and that’s what was disappointing, knowing that Sacramento likes to play fast and get up and down the floor.”
Curry completed with a team-high 26 factors, together with 20 of Golden State’s 51 within the first half, whereas connecting on seven of his first eight pictures from the sphere (4 for five from 3). Nevertheless, his supporting solid — minus Jonathan Kuminga (ankle), Gary Payton II (calf) and Brandon Podziemski (stomach) — did not sustain with the Kings.
Earlier within the day, the Warriors discovered they’d be with out Kuminga for at the least the subsequent three weeks after an MRI revealed a “significant” ankle sprain, and the early returns on his alternative as an offensive accomplice for Curry weren’t notably encouraging.
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 factors in 26 minutes, however Golden State’s offense stalled out with out Curry on the ground. Moses Moody (13 factors) and Draymond Inexperienced (10) have been the one different Warriors to achieve double figures, and Kerr mentioned they lacked a “sense of purpose” on their possessions.
“Each game requires something gameplan-wise that you have to focus on, and we sort of lost that tonight,” Kerr mentioned.
Defensively, the Warriors didn’t present a lot resistance to a Kings crew lacking its main scorer. Instead of Fox (26.7 PPG), who was resting a sore hip, eight Kings gamers scored in double figures, together with double-doubles from Damantas Sabonis (22 factors, 13 rebounds) and Malik Monk (26 factors, 12 assists).
“Point of attack, they were getting downhill on us and we’re having to help and then they’re spreading the floor,” Kerr mentioned. “They’ve got shooting everywhere. They’ve built a team in the last couple years that can shoot from 1 through 4, so they spread us out and did a great job.”
Sacramento turned the Warriors’ 22 turnovers into 34 factors and linked on 19 of its 43 makes an attempt from past the arc (51.7% total).
“Turnovers killed us tonight,” mentioned Kevon Looney, who added 9 factors and 5 rebounds. “Sacramento played a great game, but we helped them with our offense, turning the ball over and letting them get out and run, make shots and do what they do. Turnovers definitely played a huge factor.”
The rout was a rarity for the Warriors, who had been concerned in additional clutch video games (inside 5 factors within the remaining 5 minutes) than another crew within the NBA. It was their second-widest margin of any loss this season. So uncompetitive, Curry accrued all his numbers within the first three quarters. Trailing 105-75 by the beginning of the ultimate interval, there was no level in placing further pressure on a 37-year-old with tendonitis in each his knees.
“A loss is a loss, but it’s not any more alarming than any other loss,” Kerr mentioned. “This is the NBA these days. It’s such a fast game with so many 3s that there are just going to be some nights where everything goes your way or everything goes the other team’s way.”
After beating the Grizzlies the earlier evening whereas Curry rested, the Warriors appeared to have emerged from the doldrums of a 3-12 stretch that negated a 12-3 begin. That they had strung collectively wins for the primary time in six weeks, have been waiting for a softening schedule and have been getting a freshly rested Curry again.
“I thought we had been headed in the right direction over this home stand,” Looney mentioned. “Every night isn’t perfect, but I think we’re doing better habits. Tonight was a tough one. We didn’t play to our standard. We didn’t play poised like we usually do. We’ll be better. I think tonight was just one of those days and we’re heading in the right direction.”
Curry acquired off to the beginning anticipated from any person who acquired the earlier evening off. By halftime, he had accomplished extra 4-point performs (two) than he had missed pictures (one, on seven makes an attempt, together with 5 from 3). However the Warriors allowed the Kings to shoot 57.4% from the sphere, pouring in additional first-half factors than any opponent all season in addition to the Cavaliers (83 on November 8) or Mavericks (81 on December 15).
It was Curry’s seventh 20-point half of the season and solely the second time in his profession that he recorded a number of 4-point performs in a single recreation. His second, with Sabonis flying in his face, capped a flurry that minimize the Kings’ benefit from 15 factors to 4 in a span of 1:07, however the Warriors have been outscored 35-16 over the rest of the quarter and took a 75-51 deficit into intermission.
The Warriors by no means recovered from a sloppy first quarter, committing eight turnovers that led to 11 Sacramento factors whereas being outscored 36-21. The Kings have been in a position to try 5 extra area objectives and acquired to the road 4 instances. That they had few solutions for Sabonis, who ended the quarter in acceptable trend, drawing Trayce Jackson-Davis out of the paint with a pump pretend earlier than driving and dunking over him emphatically.
“I don’t know how many turnovers we had in that quarter, but it felt like a lot,” Kerr mentioned. “Our transition defense was bad and they were hot right from the beginning.”
Initially Revealed: January 5, 2025 at 7:53 PM PST
