Warriors-Kings Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Dec 19 2012 2:50AM

The Golden State Warriors got the job done in their first home game in more than two weeks.

A stop in Sacramento could produce similar results.

Off to their best start in 21 years, the Warriors will try to win for the 15th time in 19 games Wednesday night against the lowly Kings.

Playing in Oakland for the first time in 15 days, Golden State (17-8) held off Western Conference-worst New Orleans on Tuesday with a 103-96 victory. The Warriors closed on an 11-4 run in their first game back from a 6-1 stretch against the East - their first trip with that many victories.

"One of the hardest games in the NBA to play is your first game back at home after a road trip," forward David Lee said after scoring 26 points with nine rebounds. "I've been through too much losing to be disappointed in a win."

The Warriors, off to their best start since the 1991-92 team opened 21-8, will now try to improve their 10-5 road record and avoid a sweep in California's capital. Going for its first 3-0 road start since 1994-95 - and trying to spoil Sacramento's home opener - Golden State lost 94-92 on Nov. 5.

The Kings (7-17) were able to avoid an 0-4 start with that victory, but they're riding a season high-tying five-game skid into this contest.

Sacramento has lost by at least 10 points each time during that stretch following Monday's 101-90 defeat at Phoenix. The Kings led by as many as 19.

"I thought this was a night to steal one on the road after a game last night (a 122-97 home loss to Denver)," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said. "I thought they did everything the right way up until things started to go haywire in the second half."

The third quarter has been especially troublesome in the last two games as the Kings have been outscored by an average of 14.5 points.

"It's kind of disheartening," point guard Aaron Brooks said Monday after the Suns went on a 26-4 run that started late in the first half.

Another concern for Sacramento is the health of Tyreke Evans, who has missed six of the last 10 games with a pair of different knee injuries. It's uncertain if he'll return after sitting out Monday's contest.

The Kings, though, should have guard Marcus Thornton back after he was away from the team for four games to be with his ill mother in Louisiana.

Thornton had 16 points in the Nov. 5 victory while Evans shot 1 of 9 to finish with three points.

Whoever is in Sacramento's backcourt could have their hands full with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who lead all NBA duos with 129 3-pointers.

Thompson hit three 3s and scored a team-high 22 points against the Kings last month, while Curry hit two from long range and finished with 12 and eight assists. Curry missed a 3-point attempt as time expired as Golden State lost for the seventh time in 10 trips to Sacramento.

Lee, who had 20 points and a season-low six rebounds in that contest, will try to start a new double-double streak after he just missed his eighth straight Tuesday. He did, however, finish with at least 20 points for a ninth consecutive game.

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins could set a career high with a fifth consecutive double-double at home. Cousins has averaged 22.8 points and 16.3 rebounds in his last four in this series after finishing with 23 and 15 last month.

Kings snap 5-game skid, outlast Warriors 131-127

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Posted Dec 20 2012 1:51AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The shots swished, the ball moved and the Sacramento Kings controlled the pace for one of the few times this season.

If only they can play the Golden State Warriors every game.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 points, Aaron Brooks added 23 points and the Kings snapped a five-game losing streak by outlasting the Warriors 131-127 on Wednesday night.

Sacramento (8-17) improved to 2-0 this season in the Northern California rivalry, which has historically had little defense.

"Sometimes when you need to get a win, the bottom line is not the score," said Keith Smart, the former Warriors coach in his second season with the Kings. "But the fact that you're on the top of the score and got the win."

After blowing a 15-point lead, Brooks made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes to help the Kings pull away. Both teams shot 50 percent, while Sacramento had a season high in points and scored more than any team had against the Warriors this season.

The Kings, who wasted a 19-point lead in a loss at Phoenix on Monday, found a way to hold on this time - and did so with Tyreke Evans sitting out with a sore left knee for the second straight game.

"We showed a little bit of character and fired back," Brooks said.

Stephen Curry scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half before fouling out, and David Lee had 29 points and eight rebounds in Golden State's worst defensive outing of the season. Only Oklahoma City had shot at least 50 percent against the Warriors.

After going 6-1 on the season's longest road stretch, the Warriors (17-9) beat New Orleans 103-96 at home Tuesday night. They returned to the road for the short trip to Sacramento, looking tired and timid on defense from the start.

The most points the Warriors had allowed this season came in that 119-109 loss at Oklahoma City on Nov. 18. The Thunder shot 50.6 percent in that game.

"I'm very disappointed in how we allow a team to score 131 points without their best player," second-year Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.

The most points Sacramento had scored was in a 113-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 21. The Kings found their stroke again to beat the Warriors for the second time this season, with both games coming in California's capital city.

The second edition this season had far less defense than when the Kings beat the Warriors 94-92 in their home opener.

Curry fouled out with 2:13 remaining when he reached in on John Salmons' layup attempt. Salmons made one free throw, and Brooks followed with a 3-pointer to extend Sacramento's lead to 122-118.

Then Jarrett Jack, who finished with 28 points, made one of two free throws before Brooks slipped open along the sideline and swished another from beyond the arc to put the Kings ahead by six with 1:12 to play and turn the final seconds into a free throw contest.

"I don't think it was bad defense. We hit some tough shots," Brooks said. "They hit some tough shots. There were isolations all over the court, 1-on-1 defense, a couple fadeaways, quick 3s. Both teams were just clicking."

The only thing that matched Sacramento's fast finish was its strong start.

Brooks made a pair of 3s to highlight Sacramento's 25-12 spurt to open the game. The Kings kept the pace fast, playing the kind of offensive-oriented system that Smart often ran in his only season coaching the Warriors two years ago.

Some sharp shooting didn't hurt, either. Jimmer Fredette's 3-pointer put the Kings ahead by 15 points in the middle of the second quarter, and they held on for a 63-55 halftime lead.

Sacramento showed remarkable offensive efficiency despite Evans out. He has missed seven of the last 11 games because of the injury, including playing 10 minutes in a loss at Denver on Sunday when he re-aggravated his knee.

Marcus Thornton also returned after missing the previous three games to be with his ill mother in Louisiana. He scored 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench.

Carl Landry made four straight jumpers, and Jack pulled up for a 3-pointer to begin the Warriors' late surge. Curry swished two 3-pointers to cap the 17-6 burst that gave Golden State a 112-111 lead halfway through the fourth quarter, jumping in the air and pumping his fist after the second swish.

The celebration turned out to be premature. The Kings, who beat the Warriors 94-92 in Sacramento's home opener Nov. 5, once again turned back Golden State's momentum.

"There's really no excuse for it," said Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who had 11 points and five rebounds. "We've beaten much better teams in this league. But you are going to have some bad games. It's a long season."

NOTES: Kings F Francisco Garcia landed hard on his back going for a block in the second quarter. He sat out the second half with soreness. ... Sacramento tied the all-time series with Golden State at 184-184. ... The Warriors are 2-5 in the first game of a back-to-back this season and 5-2 in the second game. ... Rapper Rick Ross sat courtside.

Notebook: Kings 131, Warriors 127

James Ham, For NBA.com
Posted Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:56 AM - Updated Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:56 AM

THE FACTS: It felt like turn-back-the-clock night at Sleep Train Arena Wednesday night as the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings slugged it out like Don Nelson was running both benches. In the end, the home team prevailed, coming away with the wild 131-127 victory in front of an incredibly entertained crowd.

DeMarcus Cousins was a beast in the post for the Kings (8-17), scoring 24 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field and 14-for-18 from the line. Aaron Brooks added 23 points, missing just three of his 12 shots from the field. Marcus Thornton added 19 points off the bench after missing the Kings last four games while attending to a personal matter.

Stephen Curry was incredible for the Warriors (17-9), scoring a game-high 32 points before fouling out late. David Lee added 29 points and eight rebounds, while Jarrett Jack supplied a 28-point, seven-rebound performance off the Golden State bench.

QUOTABLE: "We had to get this guy out of the game somehow."

-- Kings coach Keith Smart on calling an isolation play for John Salmons to try and get Curry to pick up his sixth foul

THE STAT: Both the Kings and the Warriors finished the game shooting exactly 50 percent from the field in one of the most entertaining games so far this NBA season. Seven Kings and five Warriors players finished with double-figure scoring in a wild up and down affair.

TURNING POINT: At the 2:13 mark of the fourth quarter and the game tied 118-118, Salmons went right at Curry and got him to pick up his sixth and final foul. Curry had scored 23 second-half points up to that point and 32 for the game. The Kings outscored the Warriors 13-9 with their star point guard sitting on the bench.

QUOTABLE II: "[My mother] getting sick was a big thing for me. I was kind of just spaced out. I really [haven't] cared too much about anything but her health. Now that she's doing better, I can get back to doing what I love to do."

--Marcus Thornton on returning to the Kings after tending to his ailing mother

HOT: Brooks got to the Warriors in the first quarter, giving the Kings 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. When he left the court, Jimmer Fedette took over, hitting three of his five shots from the field and all four of his free throws. The duo combined for 25 points in the first half, helping the Kings to a 63--55 lead going to the intermission.

HOT II: Curry and Cousins put on a show in the third quarter. After scoring nine points in the first half, Curry dropped 17 on the Kings in the third period. While Curry was burying shots from the outside for the Warriors, Cousins was busy dominating the post for the Kings, scoring 13 in the quarter.

GOOD MOVE: As this game wore on, the coaching staffs did an incredible job of playing chess. When Curry got hot, Smart switched Salmons to him. When Thornton got hot, Jackson used the much bigger Klay Thompson to guard him. This was an epic offensive battle on the surface, but a complicated game of matchups for the coaching staffs.

BAD MOVE: The only things that could possibly stop Curry tonight was his sixth and final foul, which he picked up at the 2:13 mark of the fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: The two teams combined to make 24 out of 45 3-point attempts on the night, for a stellar 53-percent.

UP NEXT: For the Warriors, Friday vs. Bobcats, Saturday vs. Lakers, Wednesday @ Utah. For the Kings, Friday @ Clippers, Sunday vs. Portland, Wednesday @ Portland.

• Warriors: Bogut, Rush
• Kings: Evans

• Warriors: --
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #71 Rodney Mott, #16 David Guthrie, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 12885
• Duration: 2:23