NBA Playoffs

Alex Kramers

Despite falling to the Warriors in the deciding contest, Kings players held their heads high and looked to build on what they accomplished during the postseason.

The familiar, sing-song chants of “Sac-ra-mento!” rang out inside Golden 1 Center in the closing minutes of an already-decided Game 7, as one final ode to a special Kings team that brought fans so many smiles with an offensive punch and hustling pace that overwhelmed even high-quality defenses.

The sharp and experienced Warriors ultimately provided too harsh of a test, but despite the outcome, Kings players and coaches held their heads high at pushing the defending champs to the brink of elimination. There was some deflation and heartbreak in their voices, but there was much more pride and a collective focus on how they’ll return stronger next season after their introductory learning experience in the playoffs.

“Being at the age that we are, you have a lot of basketball left to be played,” said De’Aaron Fox, who averaged 27.4 points and 7.7 assists in his first postseason. “You’re entering your prime, you want to have the best years of your basketball career coming up. Losing to this team, you just learn from it. You take everything that they did to us, that they taught us, you try to be better at those things and just continue to work at it.”

The Kings made the defending champions work early, racing to a five-point lead in the first quarter and holding a two-point edge at the half. But Stephen Curry carried himself with his trademark swagger to begin the third, penetrating the heart of the defense and unleashing an onslaught of deep perimeter bombs that have long been his forte, while Kevon Looney seemed to have his hands on every ball that bounced off the iron.

For Sacramento, it was a rare night when Fox couldn’t reciprocate Curry with a fourth-quarter barrage of his own, when Malik Monk’s shots weren’t falling cleanly through the net, and when Domantas Sabonis wasn’t the game’s biggest force in the paint or on the glass.

“It’s going to sting for a long time, but you have to come back ready from the get-go, from training camp,” Monk said. “I definitely want to be playing again at this time next year [...] You can’t dream of anything like this unless you’re doing it.”

Mutual Respect: After being faced with the unenviable task of finding ways to slow down Fox from driving the lanes, whipping passes all over the court, and at times, single-handedly controlling the series, Draymond Green and the Warriors left the hard-fought battle with a deeper appreciation for the Kings All-Star.

“I wanted to pay my respects,” Green said regarding his post-game words with No. 5. “We’ve been in a lot of playoff series against a lot of guys, and if I’m honest, you leave with less respect for a lot of guys … There are some you gain respect for. Fox is one of those guys.”

Best for Last: Sabonis was at his All-NBA best in the series finale, backing and muscling his way in the paint, running the floor and finishing in transition, and exhibiting the tremendous dribble-handoff chemistry he perfected with Monk and Keegan Murray throughout the regular season. When the Warriors dared, practically begged Sabonis to beat them from mid-range, Sacramento’s center did just that, too, drilling a pair of 19-footers. Sabonis led the team in points (22, on 10-of-16 from the field) and assists (seven), while snagging eight rebounds and blocking a pair of shots.

Key Stats: The Warriors racked up 13 offensive rebounds, seven by Looney, in the third quarter, keeping multiple possessions alive and preventing Sacramento from ramping up the pace. With Golden State content to burn the clock with a methodical, walk-the-ball-up game in the second half, the Kings finished the game with only two fastbreak points.

Turning Point: In the words of Monk, “Steph being Steph; that’s it. Kudos to Steph.”

Even though head coach Mike Brown pulled out all the stops once again, implementing new lineups and scheming defenses to try to slow down the red-hot Curry, Golden State showed precisely why it won last year’s title. That first-hand look at how championship teams respond to adversity, Brown says, will benefit Sacramento in the long run.

“Obviously, we wish we were still playing, but this is part of the sport,” Brown said. “We’ll be better from this experience going forward. Our guys are definitely hurting right now, which obviously they should be. But I have a lot of gratitude for every man in that locker room.”

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De’Aaron Fox, Kings Use Game 7 Loss as Learning Experience

With their backs against the wall, the Kings stunned the defending champions on the strength of De’Aaron Fox’s playmaking, Malik Monk’s firepower and a small-ball lineup.

Win or go home, backs against the wall, no tomorrow were amongst the descriptions of Sacramento’s plight by its coaches and players after dropping three in a row to the Warriors. But while many teams talk the talk but wilt in pressure situations on the floor, the Kings were unfazed by an elimination game on the road, against an opponent with all the experience, all the history, all the momentum on its side.

Davion Mitchell predicted his team would “punch them in the mouth first,” and the Kings did just that, bullying and battling their way to an 8-0 start with elite balance on both sides of the ball, ducking every Golden State counter, sending blow after blow, and finally, delivering a knockout late in the fourth quarter.

At the center of the ring were, as they’ve been all series, De’Aaron Fox, unhampered by his broken finger, and Malik Monk, the dynamo sixth man, pinning the Warriors on the ropes. Each proved yet again that he’s all-but unguardable, knifing into the paint for floaters, taking advantage of switches and cross-matches to get open from mid- and long-range, and drawing whistles on the way to the cup.

The devastating duo combined for 54 points, 15 assists and four steals, vibrating with energy against a lethargic Warriors team that couldn’t flip the switch they’ve become so accustomed to flipping.&nbsp;

“We wanted to hit first, hit second, hit third, hit last, and I think we did a good job of that tonight,” said Fox, who was a plus-20 in his 37 minutes. “Especially with our pace, I feel like we were in control basically the entire game tonight. From start to finish, I feel that this is probably the best game that we’ve played this year.”

With the series shifting back to Golden 1 Center for a winner-take-all Game 7, there’s no shortage of confidence in Sacramento’s corner and no shying away from the brightest of spotlights.

“It’s a big opportunity,” Fox said. “Everybody doesn’t get to experience a Game 7, and not a lot of people get to experience a Game 7 in Sacramento […] It’s going to be rocking.”

“I just know I’m going to go out there and [give] 110 percent, give it my all and continue to do what I’ve been doing; that’s attacking the rim and making plays for my teammates,” Monk added. “I’ll be ready.”

X-Factors: So often, the outcomes of critical playoff games are swayed by role players who deliver their biggest performances, who maximize every opportunity when their team needs them most. With Domantas Sabonis in foul trouble for much of the night, the Kings relied on depth and a small-ball lineup that outpaced and confounded the Warriors.

Inserted to space the floor, Trey Lyles thrived as the backup center with 12 points on 10 shots, nine rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes, during which Sacramento outscored the Warriors by nine.

“We felt going small with the guards we have, they can get downhill, and we can play-make,” said head coach Mike Brown. “Trey gave us that flexibility. For us, we do want to play as quickly as we can, we want to keep pushing the ball. That’s how we played all year. In order to beat teams in the playoffs, we need to play faster.”

Although he was the least experienced player on the floor, Keegan Murray was no less confident in his ability to impact the game, firing away from deep on his way to 15 points, collecting 12 rebounds, and perhaps just as importantly, drawing a pair of charges in a team-high 45 minutes.

And in a system in which any player can be the X-factor on any given night, Kevin Huerter rediscovered his touch from long range, connecting on three triples after making four in the previous five games combined.

“He’s just got to keep shooting the ball,” Brown said. “Making shots, you feel good about that. He’s continued to take them like he did tonight. Give him credit, because there’s a confidence level you have to have to be where he is, and he had it tonight.”

Turning Point: Sacramento led from the opening minute of the second quarter until the final horn, but Golden State trimmed the lead to five with under four minutes to go in the third. In a game-, and perhaps series-defining 40-second sequence, Monk found Fox for a corner three-pointer, blocked Jordan Poole at the rim and then sprinted down the floor to knock down a triple of his own to effectively shut the door on a Warriors comeback attempt.

“They’ve been doubting us all year; they said we weren’t going to be here,” Monk said. “We’re just here to prove everybody wrong.”

Key Stat: In stringing together its most dominant postseason outing, the Kings – the best road team in the West during the regular season – held the decisive edge in nearly every major category, from paint points (44-36) to offensive rebounds (18-11) to fastbreak points (18-9). The team’s 52 bench points more than doubled Golden State’s output (21), with Monk on his own (28) outscoring all Warriors reserves combined.

But the defensive end is where Sacramento dazzled most, holding the run-and-gun Warriors to only 99 points, 37.2 percent from the field and 10-of-32 from long range.

“We never came in just thinking our season would be over tonight,” Fox said. “Everybody believes in each other … We know that we can score with anybody and I think in the postseason, our defense has been better.”

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Kings Come Out Swinging, Rout Warriors to Force Game 7

No. 0 shook off a slow start to score 20-plus points off the bench for the second time in the series, while De’Aaron Fox showed no ill effects from a finger injury.

The fourth quarter is usually time for the Clutch Player of the Year to jam his foot on the gas pedal, but when his former Wildcats teammate caught fire late in the second half, De’Aaron Fox dialed back his game and deferred to Malik Monk.

Scoreless with under four minutes left in the third quarter, Monk erupted for 21 points the rest of the way – 14 in the final frame – demoralizing the Warriors with his relentless pursuit of the rim, and on a night where the Kings were off target from the perimeter, drilling a momentum-shifting three as part of a 13-2 Kings run.

Despite a scary collision under the basket, No. 0 stayed in the lineup and continued to give the Warriors all they could handle, presenting issues for Golden State’s interior defense with acrobatic lay-ups in traffic and dump-off passes to Sacramento’s big men. The microwave scorer’s 91 points off the bench are the most in a five-game span by a Kings reserve in franchise history.

Monk, Fox and Davion Mitchell helped bring Sacramento to within a single basket in crunch time, but Golden State maintained its advantage on the scoreboard until the final horn, flexing their defensive chops and showing off their offensive firepower.

“Even though we cut it down to two, they still kept their composure and still ran their stuff,” Mitchell said. “That’s a really good team; give credit to them.”

With the Kings facing elimination for the first time, head coach Mike Brown expects his team to respond with season-on-the-line resilience in Game 6.

“We’ve been great when our backs have been against the wall all season, so I don’t see it being any different,” Brown said. “Our guys know what’s at stake and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

No Doubt: The Kings wondrous point guard was deemed “doubtful” to go earlier in the week, but Fox not only played through the pain in his fractured finger and the discomfort of the splint taped around it, but he also produced another exceptional all-around performance.

Fox showed no visible ill effects from the injury early on, finding the bottom of the net on his first three shots from behind the arc, and while his outside stroke later waned, he still found a way to get into the paint with his quickness, muscle and guile. No. 5 produced 24 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals in a team-high 42 minutes.

“I was fine,” Fox said regarding his injury. “I think at times, I had good looks that just didn’t go in. I think they played a good game defensively. They had their hands on a lot of balls, a lot of deflections, a lot of blocked shots. They did a good job in the second half defensively.”

Rookie Roller Coaster: Keegan Murray has been implored to ramp up his aggressiveness as a scorer by his coaches and teammates, and the rookie, picking up right where he left off in Game 4, responded by netting 10 of Sacramento's first 19 points on Wednesday. But despite playing 35 minutes, Murray wasn’t heard from in the second half; his only field goal attempt came on Sacramento’s final possession of the night.

“I think it was the flow of the game, but at the same time, we have to get him more shots,” Fox said. “He’s one of the better shooters in the league … we have to help him get open.”

Key Stat: The Kings set a franchise record for threes made in a quarter with eight on 12 tries in the first, but the deep-shooting barrage wouldn’t last. Outside-accuracy problems plagued Sacramento once again over the next 36 minutes, during which Sacramento hoisted 23 shots from long range but made just two.

Entering Game 5, Sacramento ranked fifth in three-point attempts (38.0) but 14th in percentage (30.3) among the 16 playoff teams, a nearly six-point drop from its output during the regular season (36.9 percent). And despite generating not just plenty of good looks, but the most wide-open shots from behind the arc – 21 per contest – in the postseason, the Kings made only 31 percent of them.

Turning Point: Golden State has been most vulnerable during Stephen Curry’s minutes on the bench, but when the Warriors star sat at the 5:39 mark of the second quarter, Klay Thompson drilled three consecutive triples. A three-point play by Draymond Green capped a 12-0 run, flipping a six-point Kings lead into a six-point deficit in just under three minutes.

Mitchell made it clear that the Kings, fully aware of the stakes, need to reduce defensive breakdowns, become the aggressors from the opening tip, and reach a higher gear that they haven't yet reached to avoid falling to the defending champions.

“It’s kind of like desperation; win or go home,” he said. “Just like how we were up 2-0 and they did a really good job of coming out strong, hitting us in the mouth in Game 3, and they kind of took that [game] over, we have to have the same mindset coming in.”

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Malik Monk Fuels Late Rally But Warriors Prevail

Nikki Nicholson

Sacramento faithful remain united after heartbreaking Game 4.&nbsp;

De’Aaron Fox brought the ball up the floor with 10.9 seconds remaining, trailing 126-125, with a chance to win Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors.&nbsp;

After drawing a double-team, Fox kicked it out to Harrison Barnes on the left side of the 3-point arc, who had a great look at a three to break the hearts of the franchise that drafted him 10 seasons ago.&nbsp;

Shock and disbelief quickly filled those in attendace at the Golden 1 Center Watch Party on Sunday. Yet just as quickly as Barnes missed the bottom of the net, Kings fans turned their mood of disappointment into expressions of optimism for Game 5 back home.&nbsp;

“This team has been given a near impossible task to complete, and they are only two games away from doing it,” Kings fan Gavin Hudson said after Golden State evened the series (2-2). “They’ve got time to figure it out but everyone wants that instant gratification against the defending champs and local rival.”&nbsp;

No matter what Sacramento has faced on-court, Kings fans stay resilient, and it was on display once again at the team’s world-class sports & entertainment center.&nbsp;

Reflecting the&nbsp;steadfastness of the team’s ardent supporters, Kings rookie Keegan Murray had a breakout playoff performance on Sunday.&nbsp;

After a tough offensive start to the series, Murray found his rhythm at Chase Center, posting team-highs in 3-pointers (5) and field-goal percentage (69.2) en route to 23 points and seven rebounds.&nbsp;

“I just try to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs. I know eventually I’ll catch my stride on the offensive end,” Murray said afterward. “It was only a matter of time.”&nbsp;

Along with No. 13, Fox had a sensational performance as well, finishing with 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists. &nbsp;

With every floater, step-back or 3-pointer from No. 5, Golden 1 Center erupted, as the atmosphere felt more like the action was happening on the home floor rather than on the giant 4K screen.&nbsp;

Despite the result, Kings fans will surely unite again to have the arena rocking during Game 5 on TNT.&nbsp;

“Our city really comes together in exciting moments like this, performing amazingly in the playoffs,” Mansour Sagna said. “It brings excitement to see what's to hold in the future of the franchise.”&nbsp;

Sacramento looks to retake the series lead on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Golden 1 Center.&nbsp;

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Golden 1 Center Continues to Roar 

There are few, if any forces in the NBA more dangerous than a Sacramento team captained by De’Aaron Fox and empowered by momentum. In what’s become a running theme in the series, no lead is safe as long as there’s time on the clock, and in a back-and-forth affair where both sides barely had enough time to catch their catch breath, the Kings stormed back with the resiliency they’d demonstrated all season long.

A game of runs came oh-so-close to being defined by one last push from Sacramento, and nearly ended in a dramatic walk-off victory on a Harrison Barnes game-winner. But the veteran’s shot caromed off the back rim, and after surrendering four consecutive Kings points – on a Malik Monk technical free throw and a Fox three-pointer contested by Draymond Green – Golden State escaped by only a single point on its home floor.&nbsp;

Despite the outcome, Kings head coach Mike Brown was proud of his team for going toe-to-toe with the defending champions and praised its effort even after trailing by double-digits entering the fourth quarter.

“I thought our guys came out with a purpose tonight,” Brown said. “We gave ourselves a chance to win and that's all you can ask for come playoff time […] We had a wide-open look from the three-point line and you couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

The Kings are both too persistent and too close a match for the Warriors to permit anything less than keeping each game competitive, but curbing mistakes, Brown says, will be what separates the two otherwise evenly-matched squads.

“This is where our playoff inexperience comes into play,” Brown said. “You can’t rest out there, you can’t think that you can do something a certain way and champions aren’t going to make you pay the price. You have to take pride in playing a certain way for 48 minutes.”

With home-court advantage, Golden State’s well-documented road struggles and no question that Sacramento can handle the pressure, even against a mentally and physically tough Warriors team, there’s no sense of panic in the locker room.“Our confidence isn't down,” said Domantas Sabonis, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. “Obviously, it's not the outcome we wanted, but we are going home and we have to take care of business there. It's a long series.”

Rookie Breakout: It was a matter of when, not if, the threes would start falling for Keegan Murray and the floodgates would swing open. The same wide-open looks that weren’t dropping for the Kings rookie in the first three contests were swishing through the net in Game 4 with an air of inevitability to them not felt since the regular season.

“I just tried to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs,” Murray said. “I knew eventually, I’d catch my stride on the offensive end. So it was just a matter of time and I just came in confident, just tried to figure out what they’re doing against me; just tried to figure out how I can get open looks.”

No. 13 entered the day with only one make on eight tries from downtown and 10 total points in 54 minutes, but the Murray who drilled a rookie-record 206 threes on 41-percent shooting, the key cog in the offense who’s comfortable from every spot around the arc, returned with a bang in Game 4.

The even-keeled rookie drilled 5-of-7 from distance and 9-of-13 overall for 23 points, the most by a first-year player in the Sacramento era. He proved defiantly that playoff nerves weren’t a factor, instead validating that the results of the first three games were simply a fluke.

“I thought he stepped up tonight and showed why he’s first-team All-Rookie,” Brown said. “He’s the only rookie in the lottery that’s still playing, and playing a significant role for his team. Tonight, he almost helped us get over the hump.”

Turning Point: Every time the Warriors thought they had an iota of breathing room, the Kings refused to back down, putting pressure on the defense in transition and generating efficient offense with crisp ball movement in the half court.

They did it when Golden State jumped ahead 28-21 on a pull-up jumper from Stephen Curry, netting 20 of the game’s next 25 points. They did again, this time with a 9-2 run, once the Warriors tied the score toward the end of the first half. And they did it one final time, when everyone else in the building thought the game was over with the ball in Curry’s hands, a five-point cushion and less than a minute to go.

Elite Company: Fox scored 38 points for the second time in four games, already joining Chris Webber and Mike Bibby as the third player in the Sacramento era with multiple 30-point playoff outings in a single postseason run. The league’s Clutch Player of the Year put in 12 of those points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight during Sacramento’s late-game rally that nearly catapulted the Kings to an improbable victory.

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Fox & Murray Catch Fire, But Kings Drop Heartbreaker in Game 4

Kings fans take over Golden 1 Center in Game 3 watch party.&nbsp;

If the first two games of Sacramento’s Western Conference playoff run proved anything, it’s that Kings fans will show up and out.&nbsp;

Walking into Golden 1 Center on Thursday for the Kings at&nbsp;Warriors Watch Party, one would've thought the team was playing its third consecutive home contest.&nbsp;

However, the Battle for NorCal shifted., as the Kings took their 2-0 series lead to Chase Center.&nbsp;

“It feels like the entire stadium is shaking,” Tyson Smith said inside Sacramento’s world-class sports & entertainment center 10 minutes before tip-off.&nbsp;

Despite the festive atmostphere back home, the Kings found themselves in an early deficit. But Sacramento supporters’ belief in their team remained steadfast, creating a passion-induced atmosphere for the nearly 10,000 attendees. &nbsp;

“People are cheering as if players can hear us, it’s great the city is showing out and embracing the team,” Natalie Craig said as she watched the matchup on Golden 1 Center’s 84-ft x 10-ft foot 4K screen. “People were cheering defense as if Steph Curry is going to hear it, people really want to show their Kings pride.” &nbsp;

“I’m happy everyone is out here and everybody is safe, everybody out here is having a good time,” added Gabriel Martinez.&nbsp;

The NBA’s first-ever Clutch Player of the Year did his best to guide the team in a raccious road enviroment, but De’Aaron Fox’s 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists were not enough to lead the Kings to victory on Thursday night in San Fransisco.&nbsp;

While the team came up short in Game 3, Sactown Sports radio personality Jay Johnson said there’s lot to be appreciated&nbsp;with Fox's play.&nbsp;

“It’s validation for this city, [and] it’s validation for De’Aaron,” Johnson said in regards to No. 5’s recent accolades.&nbsp;“Every single year he’s improved, this is just true validation to the work De’Aaron has put in.”&nbsp;

Up 2-1 in the best of seven first-round series, the Kings look to bounce back in Game 4 on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ABC – and a legion of Sacramento faithful will surely be tuned in once again at&nbsp;Golden 1 Center.&nbsp;

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Home Like They Never Left 

No. 5 went toe-to-toe with Golden State’s sharpshooting star, but Golden State outpaced and out-rebounded the Kings in Game 3.

Nobody said it would be easy to unseat the defending NBA champions, so the end result of Game 3 dampened neither the spirits of the coaching staff nor the enthusiasm of the participants.

“Every time we step on the floor, we’re growing; whether we win or we lose,” said Kings head coach Mike Brown. “Tonight, our group had a chance to experience what a championship team does when their backs are against the wall … They did all the small things that we’d been doing a pretty good job of in Games 1 and 2. [It was] a great test for us, a great way to learn. We’ll try to go watch the film, go back for Game 4 and be a little bit better in those areas.”

For much of the night, it was an old-fashioned duel between two of the league’s craftiest scorers in Stephen Curry and De’Aaron Fox, an unspoken game of “anything you can do, I can do better” that ultimately went to the two-time MVP.

Still, Fox refused to go down quietly, answering with step-back threes that splashed through the net, old-fashioned three-point plays on strong drives to the rim and precise passes to teammates when faced with double-teams. Sacramento’s All-Star guard finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, narrowly missing a triple-double that would’ve been the first by a Kings player in the postseason since Chris Webber’s in 2004.

But even Fox’s best efforts couldn’t completely offset his team’s off-shooting night from behind the arc and Golden State’s edge on the glass. Entering the game, Brown preached the importance of the three “Ps” – physicality, pace and poise – and reiterated his message after the final horn.

“As champions, Golden State did exactly what they’re supposed to do: they came home and they upped their level of physicality,” Brown said. “They were the more physical team tonight, on both ends of the floor … We have to come out with more physicality and pace in our next game.”

Battle of the Bigs: Domantas Sabonis was booed vociferously by Warriors fans every time he touched the ball, but if the hostile crowd tried to make him uncomfortable, it didn’t work. The Kings center played with purpose, certainty and his customary, hard-nosed toughness, collecting 16 rebounds for the second time in three games, to go with 15 points and four assists.

No. 10’s ground-bound game and repertoire of back-to-the-basket moves – lefty jump hooks, pump fakes and spins once he established position – sent defenders flying on multiple occasions. But while Kevon Looney wasn’t asked to carry as much of the load offensively for Golden State, he made as big of an impact as anyone on his team with 20 rebounds and nine assists.

“We have to learn from this game, come out in Game 4 and try and steal it,” Sabonis said. “I felt like today, they were more physical and that affected us.”

Key Stats: 18 offensive rebounds – nine by Looney alone – resulted in 24 second-chance points for Golden State, while Sacramento’s 15 turnovers contributed to another 22 Warriors points. Those numbers were in stark contrast to the first two games, in which the Kings held a decisive edge in both categories.

“We couldn’t get a defensive rebound to save our life there for a second,” Sabonis said. “That just gave them more possessions, and we couldn’t run our pace because we had to take the ball out of bounds.”

Turning Point: Curry’s finger roll stretched Golden State’s lead to 18 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter, but Fox responded with six consecutive points, on a triple and then an old-fashioned three-point-play to trim the deficit to a more manageable 12. A subsequent 11-3 run by Golden State early in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach for Sacramento.

Dictating the pace and spending less time playing catch-up in Game 4 are among the top priorities as the Kings aim to bounce back on Sunday.

“I think there were times when we got it to single-digits but they responded and brought the lead back up,” Fox said. “For us, defensively, we have to start with getting stops and just try to get out in transition.”

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Near Triple-Double From De’Aaron Fox Not Enough in Game 3

A hallmark of this Sacramento Kings team has been to stay ready.&nbsp;

Kings fans know this more than anyone — especially given the ramifications of what has been a dream-like season – heading into Monday off the heels of a Game 1 victory over Golden State.&nbsp;

“I think it’s indescribable,” Todd Maroldo, who leads mascot operations for the team, said of Kings fans’ loyalty. “To have this team just bring this community together, can’t describe how awesome it feels.”&nbsp;

Following the same theme, Kings players have remained present whenever their number is called.&nbsp;

Remaining locked&nbsp;in is tough, but for Kings Head Coach Mike Brown’s squad, he says challenging oneself is not only&nbsp;part of the game, it's vital — especially now.&nbsp;

“It’s going to get harder, they’re the reigning champions,” Mike Brown said after Sacramento’s Game 2 win. “Every loss is going to make them more desperate, it’s going to get tougher for us each game.”&nbsp;

Like Brown’s Game 2 pregame press conference message, embracing all of the hardships is critical to the team’s success against the Warriors – and Monday’s contest proved it.&nbsp;

In addition to how the Kings respond to adversity,&nbsp;X-factors will impact each game’s outcome.&nbsp;

It wasn’t a question of what, but rather, who it would be this time? &nbsp;

Who was going to step up and embrace the challenge of doing the most difficult things to win?&nbsp;

The Sacramento guard swung the&nbsp;pendulum&nbsp;for the Kings in Game 2 with his difference-making plays&nbsp;on both ends of the floor. Not only did Mitchell take on the tall task of defending&nbsp;two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry, but he was cooking offensively too — knocking down shots from the perimeter and putting pressure on Golden State’s interior with aggressive drives to the rim as he finished with 14 points. &nbsp;

The scene inside Golden 1 Center for Game 2 seemed like the buzz&nbsp;from the playoff opener never ended. The arena was a sea of rally towels, purple lights and relentless energy from the home crowd.&nbsp;

Riding the wave of support, Sacramento looked to push the ball early and often, setting the pace with fastbreak buckets&nbsp;off deflections and steals – capitalized by a Harrison Barnes poster.&nbsp;

Despite the Kings early&nbsp;synergy, the Warriors found a way to get out to an early lead.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk combined for four threes in the second quarter, opening the game up for Sacramento to surge ahead.&nbsp;

The intensity of the crowd for Monday’s pivotal matchup was only matched by the game’s physicality.&nbsp;

Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, who finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds, took the biggest hits, yet never wavered, and his teammates followed suit.&nbsp;

“He doesn't complain, he gets up, he gets back on defense, that ignites a team,” De’Aaron Fox said afterward. “If your best player is down there getting beat up and at times he doesn't say anything, he gets back, then everybody else knows that if something happens to them, then you need to get back on defense.”&nbsp;

Mitchell demonstrated his teammate’s message, as he went to work defending Curry,&nbsp;helping to limit No. 30 to 13 points and&nbsp;0-of-5 from three in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

“Throughout the game, I just try to do a good job of putting ball pressure on Steph, trying to just keep running around with him,” Mitchell said after earning the team’s Defensive Player of the Game (DPOG) honors. “He's a hard task to guard, especially with their team.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

When the game grew tightest, the Kings leaned on their clutch star.&nbsp;

Fox came through in Game 2 like usual —&nbsp;knocking down mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim. But&nbsp;what stood out most to No. 5 was the way No. 15&nbsp;remained locked in down the stretch.&nbsp;

Up 109-103 with under 90 seconds to go, the ball found its way to a wide-open Mitchell in the corner.&nbsp;

"The big three in the corner [from Davion], I would say was the nail in the coffin," Fox said.&nbsp;

Who’s going to step up for Sacramento in Game 3&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;in San Francisco? &nbsp;