SACRAMENTO — Stephen Curry participated within the pregame huddle through Facetime, a bespectacled Draymond Inexperienced took on the position of coach in a navy blue sweatsuit and Jimmy Butler was nowhere to be discovered Wednesday evening contained in the Golden1 Middle.
With out their three largest stars, two of whom didn’t make the brief journey up I-80, the Warriors ran out of steam towards a Sacramento Kings workforce additionally taking part in at lower than full power. Golden State raced out to a double-digit lead earlier than halftime however watched it slip away in a 121-116 loss.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” coach Steve Kerr stated after his B-squad got here up brief towards a Sacramento squad taking part in with out Domantas Sabonis or Zach Lavine.
Will Richard scored 30 factors, Moses Moody poured in 28 and Jonathan Kuminga added 24, however that was no match for Russell Westbrook’s triple-double (23 factors, 16 rebounds, 10 assists) and 5 different Kings who completed in double figures.
Richard, a second-round draft choose making his first profession begin, mixed with Kuminga to attain all however two of the Warriors’ first 23 factors as Golden State raced forward to a 32-25 benefit on the finish of the primary quarter. Each gamers have been already deep into double figures by halftime, serving to Golden State to a 62-57 lead at intermission.
“(I was) just trying to keep it simple, but make an impact on the game, do the little things, cutting, hitting open shots,” Richard stated of his mindset coming into the sport.
Moody picked up the slack after halftime, scoring 18 of his factors within the second half, together with a late 3-pointer adopted by a 3-point play that pulled Golden State inside 2, 100-98. The Warriors had possession down 117-114 with beneath a minute left when Kuminga beat his defender down low. However he was unable to complete the play, Sacramento secured the rebound and sank a pair of free throws to clinch the win.
Drew Eubanks gave the Kings a 5-4 lead 2 minutes into the primary quarter, and Sacramento didn’t lead once more till Kuminga despatched Nique Clifford to the foul line early within the third quarter, permitting the Kings to briefly pull forward 67-66. Golden State’s lead was as massive as 13 factors within the first half.
It didn’t take lengthy for the Kings to flip the rating after halftime because the Warriors allowed them to get to the road 18 instances within the third quarter alone whereas capturing 10-for-17 from the sphere. In the meantime, Golden State’s offense went chilly, connecting on one shot from the sphere over the ultimate 3:57, and obtained sloppy, coughing the ball up eight instances within the interval to fall behind 92-85.
“At the end of the day, the story of the game is the turnovers,” Kerr stated, noting the Kings’ 30-11 benefit on turning them into factors.
Three of the third-quarter fouls have been administered to Kuminga, and he picked up his fifth private with 9:27 to play, forcing one of many Warriors’ few dependable scoring choices to the bench with them trailing 98-90. Golden State shot 53.5% from the sphere within the first half (8-18 from 3) however was restricted to 36.3% (9-25 from 3) after halftime.
“Defending without fouling is so important for a number of reasons, and part of it is you don’t want to give up cheap points, but it’s also hard to put up offense when you’re taking the ball out of the net over and over again,” Kerr stated. “That was the other key. It was turnovers and fouls.”
The sport marked the primary time this season the Warriors have been with none of Curry (sickness), Butler (low again) or Inexperienced (ribs). Of their place, they began the least skilled lineup the group has rolled out since April 26, 2012, two years earlier than Kerr joined the Warriors.
That lineup, that includes a rookie Klay Thompson, was the final time all 5 gamers within the Warriors’ beginning 5 had lower than 4 years of NBA expertise.
Richard, the lone rookie within the beginning 5, not solely set an early profession scoring excessive but in addition grew to become the Warriors’ first second-round choose to attain greater than 20 in his first profession begin since Eric Paschall in 2014. By reaching 30, he joined much more unique firm: VJ Edgecombe, the third general choose by the 76ers, is the one different first-year participant to attain as many factors in a single recreation thus far this season.
“Will was amazing,” Kerr stated. “This guy, from the beginning of camp, has shown he’s an NBA player. The experience, the poise, he doesn’t turn it over, makes the right play, he can handle the ball under pressure, makes the right pass. This guy’s a hell of a player.”
Afterward, Richard was requested if he was enthusiastic about his private accomplishment.
“No,” he stated. “We lost.”
