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 Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
Game Overview
Stephen Curry joined the pregame huddle via FaceTime, while Draymond Green, wearing glasses and a navy blue sweatsuit, served as an assistant coach. Jimmy Butler was absent from Wednesday night’s game at Golden 1 Center. Without their three top players—two of whom did not make the short trip up I-80—the Warriors eventually tired against a Sacramento Kings team also missing key players.
Golden State surged to a double-digit lead before halftime but ultimately let it slip away, falling 121-116.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” said coach Steve Kerr after his B-squad fell short against a Sacramento team without Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine.
Player Highlights
- Rookie Will Richard scored a game-high 30 points.
- Moses Moody contributed a career-best 28 points.
- Jonathan Kuminga added 24 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Despite these strong efforts, the Kings dominated, led by Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with five other Kings players scoring in double figures.
Richard, a second-round draft pick starting his first career game, and Kuminga combined for all but two of the Warriors’ first 23 points, helping them jump to a 32-25 lead after the first quarter.
Summary
The Warriors showed resilience without their stars but lacked the depth to hold off a powerful Kings team.