ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — This is a continuation of the halftime recap of the Sacramento Kings at the Golden State Warriors.
3rd Quarter – “Brush” Fire
Brandon Rush, the replacement in the starting lineup for the injured Harrison Barnes (left sprained ankle), got off to a torrid start as he got a left baseline two-handed dunk as the Kings’ “matador” defense clicked in.
Draymond Green then passed up an open three to attack the lane and dish out to Rush for a three-point swish from the top.
With Golden State pulling away, 61-46, Sacramento head coach George Karl took a timeout with 10:34 to go.
That didn’t stop the Warriors — or “B.Rush” for that matter — as Andrew Bogut blocked a layup attempt by Kings center Kosta Koufos and, in transition, Stephen Curry found Klay Thompson for a triple from the right wing.
Rush shook free for a catch-and-shoot from the right corner, then Curry dissected the Kings to a “parting of the Red Sea” attack down the right side of the lane and gave the ball up to Rush again, this time from the left corner:
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Golden State even ran an “elevators” play for Rush:
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The splash gave Rush 13 points on the night and Karl called timeout again, this time down big, 72-50, with 8:31 to play in the quarter.
The Warriors continued to score by threes, with Thompson another right-wing trey and Green the traditional way, a bucket in the right block against a switched Marco Belinelli:
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Green got a lob to Bogut and with the score 83-57 with 4:29 left, Rush sat down to #Roaracle’s cheers as Andre Iguodala took the usual first sub in. Rush was a happy camper:
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After a beautifully executed back pick by Curry, Festus Ezeli got free on a cut to the rim and Green found him easily for the layup, giving Draymond his tenth assist on the night to go along with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
About the only roadbump the Warriors had was Green picking up his fourth personal foul on a loose ball and when Curry got a little sloppy on the dribble against Darren Collison and got picked by Collison from behind on the drive into the lane.
Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton called timeout, but Golden State was up comfortably, 90-67, with 2:08 remaining.
Curry finally added to his first-quarter total of 17 points as he was fouled on a floater attempt and made both free throws.
The third frame ended with the Warriors up big, 92-71. Rush had accumulated 16 points.
4th Quarter – Assists For Everyone
The fourth quarter was the “same old same old” mop-up work for the bench unit, with the following highlights:
- Iguodala swished two threes in rhythm,
- Marreese Speights got an “and-one”, then a dunk, and
- Kings’ bench player and Curry’s little brother Seth Curry checked in with 9:23 to go and the Warriors up, 100-73. Oracle gave him a nice hand. Seth went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Here was the first:
With Golden State up, 114-86, with 5:07 to go, Warriors fans chanted, “Warriors!” as Ian Clark hit a three from the left wing.
Clark added another three as Rush came back in to get the assist on a drive-and-dish, and Jason Thompson, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa, and Clark finished out the game.
Every Warrior that suited up (James McAdoo did not play) got an assist and the Warriors had an astounding 32 assists on 39 made field goals at the last timeout at the 3:06 mark, up 117-88.
The game ended with the final score of 120-101, Warriors (18-0).
Green finished with a triple-double in consecutive games with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, the first Warrior to achieve such a feat since Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished it in 1964.
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