Steph-less Warriors Run Out of Steam in Loss to Sacramento Kings
The Warriors held the lead for almost the entire first half despite missing Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. Stephen Curry joined the pregame huddle via FaceTime, while Draymond Green, wearing a navy blue sweatsuit and glasses, served as an assistant coach. Jimmy Butler was absent from the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.
Without their three key players, two of whom did not make the short trip along I-80, Golden State eventually lost steam against the Sacramento Kings, who were also missing key players. The Warriors built a double-digit lead before halftime but ultimately fell 121-116.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” coach Steve Kerr said after the B-squad’s defeat against a Kings team missing Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.
Key Performances
- Rookie Will Richard scored a game-high 30 points in his first career start.
- Moses Moody achieved a career-best 28 points.
- Jonathan Kuminga contributed 24 points and team-leading nine rebounds.
Despite these efforts, the Warriors could not overcome Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with five other Kings players scoring in double figures.
Richard and Kuminga were responsible for all but two of Golden State’s first 23 points, helping the team take a 32-25 lead after the first quarter.
Summary
The Warriors showed resilience without their stars but ultimately fell to a depleted Sacramento Kings squad, highlighting promising performances from young players.