The Sacramento Kings have a chance to dethrone the defending champion Golden State Warriors when the two teams meet in Game 7 of their opening round NBA playoff series.
The game will match the young Kings and their postseason-starved fans against a Warriors squad that’s earned the “dynasty” designation. Game time is 3:30 p.m. ET at Golden 1 Center where the Kings are -1.5 point favorites. The total is 229.5.
Sacramento Kings (47-41, 3-3, #3 seed)
The Kings ended a 17-year playoff drought this season and they’re looking for more.
If they win the series and move into the Western Conference semi-finals they can thank De’Aaron Fox. After playing through a fractured index finger in Game 5, he was even better in Game 6. Fox had 26 points and 11 assists with four rebounds and three steals. He was 10 of 18 from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc.
De'Aaron Fox.point guard,playmaker-1-(base,armador)delivers.The clutch winner put up 28pts and 11 ats to forced Game 6 pic.twitter.com/ZzB55Mk3AA
— miguel bonilla (@miguelb42621839) April 29, 2023
Former LA Laker Malik Monk Monk led the Kings with 28 points off the bench. He shot 8-14 from the field, 3-6 from three-point land, and 9-10 from the free throw line.
This 40-second Malik Monk sequence…
-Pinpoint kickout pass to Fox for a corner 3
-Athletic block on Poole at the rim
-Deep 3 off the bounce pass🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/m2m86mDDzL
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 29, 2023
Golden State Warriors (51-37, 3-3, #6 seed)
Even though it’s a winner-take-all for both teams, it feels like the Warriors are in a more desperate way.
They failed to clinch the series at home in Game 6, instead turning in a lackluster effort in Friday’s 118-99 loss to the hungrier Kings.
The Warriors, meanwhile, must regroup and try to rediscover the energy and efficiency they had in a 123-116 road win Wednesday at Golden 1 Center. On Friday, they missed 10 free throws while shooting 35 — three that Curry couldn’t convert and three missed by Andrew Wiggins. Klay Thompson shot 2 for 9 from 3-point range.
By the numbers
The Warriors will be trying to improve to 19-0 in playoff series against Western Conference opponents under Coach Steve Kerr. Golden State has also never lost a first-round series under Kerr (6-0).
The Warriors haven't lost a single playoff series in the West under Steve Kerr 😳 pic.twitter.com/dnKlZkxrva
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 29, 2023
Those streaks date back to the team’s 2014-15 title run.
Hardly road warriors
Stephen Curry and company were an NBA worst 11-30 this season. And although they defeated the Kings on their home floor in Game 5, they now must find a way to quiet the cowbell-clanging Sacramento crowd to save the season after losing Games 1 and 2 at Golden 1 Center.
The Lakers Await
The winner will host the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the opener of a best-of-seven series on Tuesday. The Lakers advanced with a 4-1 series Memphis Grizzlies.
For either Sacramento or Golden State, it will mark the second straight All-California series.
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