Sports Writing (USA), Apr 15 (EFE).- In their first participation in the playoffs since 2006, the Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors, current NBA champions, this Saturday in the first and exciting meeting of this first round of the Western Conference (126-123).
Sacramento experienced a magical and historic night with a team that not only finished third in the West in the regular season but has managed to engage the entire city with its brazenness and young talent.
The Golden 1 Center presented an extraordinary atmosphere brimming with illusion and the Kings responded to the energy of their fans by taking the first installment of this Californian derby against the Warriors (sixth in the West) (just an hour and a half by car separates Sacramento, which is the state capital, San Francisco).
De’Aaron Fox was the hero for the Kings with 38 points and Malik Monk also shone with 32 points to fill the gap left by an unsuccessful Domantas Sabonis (12 points and 16 rebounds on 5 of 17 shooting).
Stephen Curry, who missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime, led the Warriors with 30 points and Klay Thompson had 21.
Golden State also had the important return of Andrew Wiggins, unprecedented since mid-February due to personal problems and who signed a great performance with 17 points despite missing a crucial three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining and with his team down one point.
The return of the forward also left a curiosity: Wiggins started from the bench and this was the first game of his NBA career as a substitute after 662 consecutive appearances as a starter.
FOX MAKES SACRAMENTO DREAM
Despite their 2022 title and four championships in the last eight years, the Warriors entered these playoffs with notable shadows, especially on the road after a painful 11-30 record away from the Chase Center in the regular season.
But Steve Kerr’s team knows how to grow in important moments.
Thus, Thompson started the game with 7 points in a row and Draymond Green and Gary Payton II stood out on defense.
Especially important in the defensive section was the return of Wiggins, essential in the rotation of the Warriors who conquered the ring last year.
Probably as excited as they were overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the stands, the Sacramento players started very willfully but hastily, with great enthusiasm but little pause.
However, Sabonis began to do damage in the paint and Fox pulled a couple of tricks out of his hat so that the first quarter ended in a draw (29-29).
The benches of both teams extended a very even fight with two figures standing out in the second units: Jordan Poole for the visitors with 11 points in the second quarter and Malik Monk for the locals with 15 goals.
A small push in the last minutes allowed the Warriors to get ahead at halftime (55-61) relying on a generous attack (16 assists for 23 baskets) and distributed (Curry, Thompson, Poole and Wiggins closed the first half with at least 10 points per head).
Golden State extended their good moment when they returned from the locker room with their first double-digit lead of the game (57-67 with 10:17 left).
Sabonis, having trouble scoring in the second quarter, continued to be unsuccessful in the third but then an electric Fox appeared to reactivate the Kings with 10 straight points (67-71 with 7.25 to go).
The Warriors recovered the +10 again with a triple by Curry, but Trey Lyles, notable with 10 points in the third period, led another great reaction from Mike Brown’s men, who went ahead to the final quarter (91-90). and with momentum in their favor after an admirable run of 15-4.
Neither team could hit the table and the game entered a volcanic and unpredictable stretch with a wonderful Fox responding from the perimeter to the fantastic three-pointers from Thompson and Curry (117-114 with 3.28 to go).
Fox, the NBA’s best player in close quarters this year, took over in Sacramento but Curry left the game just one point behind with 47.9 seconds left (124-123).
However, Wiggins and Curry himself missed two momentous triples in the finale and Sacramento closed out an unforgettable evening in style.
