The Warriors record-setting win streak continued on Saturday night as they improved to 18-0 with a 120-101 Slate Night victory over the Sacramento Kings on Warriors Ground.
The Warriors' record-setting win streak continued on
Saturday night as they improved to 18-0 with a 120-101 Slate Night victory over the Sacramento Kings on Warriors Ground. Stephen Curry led the Dubs' balanced scoring effort with 19 points, six assists and four rebounds, while Brandon Rush added a huge 16 point-contribution in 19 minutes. Draymond Green notched his second triple-double in two nights with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, while Klay Thompson added 15 points to the win.
GAME LEADERS
What began as a Sacramento takeover quickly transformed into the Warriors' triumph, after the squad recovered from trailing by as many as eight points in the first quarter. The team improved from a mere 35.7% shooting from the field at the beginning of the frame to 42.9% by the end, as a Festus Ezeli lay-in gave the Dubs their first lead of the game at 30-29. Though the Warriors held Sacramento to 35.7% shooting from the field in the second quarter, the Kings didn't go away easily. They fought to stay within three points of the Dubs, trailing 43-40 with 5:48 remaining in the first half, before an Ezeli dunk and Klay Thompson trey began to push their lead out of Sacramento's reach. The first half closed with the Warriors leading 56-46, as Stephen Curry tallied 17 points, Thompson added nine, and Draymond Green contributed two points, six boards, and five assists.
It was Brandon Rush who, after starting in place of Harrison Barnes, made all the difference for the Dubs in the third frame. The opening minutes of the second half saw Rush single-handedly splash four treys from behind-the-arc following his own driving dunk, adding up to a quick 14 points in five minutes for the guard. With his key contribution, the Dubs extended their lead to 75-52 with 7:45 left, shooting 57.9% from the three-point line. After Rush checked out of the game and received an ovation from Oracle Arena, the Warriors closed the third frame with a 92-70 lead over Sacramento.
The solid second unit took over and sealed the Kings' fate in the closing frame, led by 13 points and five rebounds from Marreese Speights, and 11 points and 11 rebounds from Festus Ezeli. The Warriors led by as many as 28 twice in the fourth quarter, with eight consecutive points tallied by Ian Clark. Sacramento attempted to make up their deficit with a 13-1 run in the final three minutes of the game, but it ultimately wasn't enough as the Warriors came out with a 120-101 Slate Night victory.
Draymond Green filled the stat sheet for the second consecutive night with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to post back-to-back triple-doubles. Festus Ezeli achieved his third career double-double, all posted this season, on 11 points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes against the Kings.
Next up, the Dubs will take their undefeated record to the road for a seven-game road trip, beginning on Monday with a visit to the Utah Jazz.