Steph-less Warriors Run Out of Steam in Loss to Sacramento Kings
The Warriors led for nearly the entire first half despite missing Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. Stephen Curry joined the pregame huddle via FaceTime, Draymond Green acted as assistant coach in a navy blue sweatsuit, and Jimmy Butler was absent from the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.
Without their three stars, two of whom did not make the short trip up I-80, Golden State eventually faltered against a Sacramento Kings team also playing without full strength. The Warriors opened up a double-digit lead before halftime but ultimately lost 121-116.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” said coach Steve Kerr after his B-squad fell short against a Kings lineup missing Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.
Key Performances
- Rookie Will Richard scored a game-high 30 points in his first career start.
- Moses Moody added a career-best 28 points.
- Jonathan Kuminga contributed 24 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
- Russell Westbrook dominated for Sacramento with a triple-double: 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.
- Five other Kings players also finished with double-digit scores.
Richard and Kuminga combined to score 21 of the Warriors’ first 23 points, helping Golden State build a 32-25 lead after the first quarter.
Author's summary: The Warriors showed resilience without their stars but fell to the Kings as Sacramento’s balanced attack and Westbrook’s triple-double proved decisive.