Warriors struggle, fall to Kings
Golden State missed its first 17 3-point attempts as offense sputters
SACRAMENTO » In the second quarter with the Warriors down 13 points, head coach Steve Kerr stepped on the court, glared at official Jason Goldenberg and yelled, “Wake your a— up!”
He was promptly ejected from Monday night’s game as the Warriors lost 111-98 to the Kings at Golden 1 Center.
Kerr’s fiery outburst with 1:14 left in the first half did nothing to change the official’s mind about a continuation call awarded to Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, nor did it urge Golden State to turn around one of their worst offensive performances of the season.
Missing guard D’Angelo Russell (right shoulder contusion) and forward Draymond Green (right ankle sprain), the Warriors (9-29) missed their first 17 3-point attempts. Only when forward Glenn Robinson III converted a 25-foot jumper with 7 minutes left in the third quarter did the Warriors make their first shot from beyond the arc. By then, it was too late.
Entering the night with the league’s worst-rated offense, the Warriors produced yet another uninspired performance. After they committed six turnovers and gave up 20 points in the paint, the Warriors trailed the Kings 26-19 after the first quarter. By halftime, they had dug a 12-point hole.
Guided by guard Buddy Hield (21 points on 7-for-17 shooting, five assists) and Fox (21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, seven assists, four rebounds), the Kings then went on to outscore the Warriors 38-24 in the third quarter as their lead ballooned to 31 points.
A fruitless shooting night for Golden State was only exacerbated by Sacramento’s proficiency, as the Kings (1423) made 47.6% of their attempts, including 15-of-30 from 3-point range. The Warriors finished shooting 39.5% overall and went just 5-for-26 on 3-point attempts.
There were a few encouraging moments. In the final minute of the third
quarter, rookie guard Ky Bowman, guarding Cory Joseph at halfcourt, stripped
the ball and made a contested layup.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, rookie center Alen Smailagic pump faked from the top of the arc and finished with a finger-roll as the 19-year-old
continues to show why he’s Golden State’s most intriguing long-term prospect.
Later, Bowman’s swipe of Fox and a loose-ball recovery by Smailagic launched a three-pass fastbreak punctuated by Bowman’s
layup.
But with Russell sidelined for his fourth straight game and Green out, the Warriors were without direction and valuable shotmaking for most of the game.
Golden State expects to get both back for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center, when they will face the top-rated defense in the league and the reigning MVP.