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The Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors 114-106 Monday night to go up 2-0 in this first round, best-of-seven series. The Warriors have now lost back to back playoff games for the first time since 2019
Light the Beam
The game started off back-and-fourth until midway through the first quarter. Golden State was able to jump out to a seven point lead, the biggest they would hold all game.
The Kings regained the lead on a Malik Monk step-back three to put the Kings up 30-27 in the second quarter, and they would never look back from there.
Sacramento outscored the Warriors 41-29 in the second quarter.
Davion Mitchell eventually hit the dagger, a 23-foot three, which put the Kings up nine with 1:17 left to play.
https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1648185999854542849
The Kings saw a huge game from Domantas Sabonis, who bounced back from a lackluster game one performance and scored 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.
De’Aaron Fox also had a huge game, scoring 24 to go along with five boards and nine assists.
Off the bench, Malik Monk shined yet again with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
"I don't feel like I've ever been in a building as loud as this. It's deafening."
– Mike Brown after the Kings Game 2 win tonight.#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/j3ngsiYf5V
— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2023
Warriors
Golden State started off strong, jumping out to as much as a seven point lead midway through the first quarter. They would hold that lead until 9:56 in the second; but, after that point, the Warriors never led again.
A scuffle ensued with 7:03 left in the fourth quarter when Domantas Sabonis fell after trying to make a rebound and grabbed Draymond Green’s leg. Green then stepped on his chest and earned himself a flagrant 2. He was ejected from the game. Sabonis also earned a technical foul for holding Green’s lower-leg.
Klay Thompson calls out Domantas Sabonis for making a ‘dirty’ play
“What are you going to do when someone grabs your foot when you’re running full speed?”
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 18, 2023
Golden State didn’t get much offensive output from anyone outside of Stephen Curry, who scored 28, Andrew Wiggins, who had 22, and Klay Thompson, who added 21.
Game 3
Golden State takes their 0-2 deficit back to The Bay for games three and four this week.
The Warriors have never started a playoff series down 0-2 with Steph Curry on the team. Curry and the defending champs are looking to avoid losing a playoff series for the first time since the 2018-2019 NBA Finals when they lost 4-2 to the Toronto Raptors.
The Kings, conversely, are looking to steal game three on the road and inch closer to their first playoff series win since the 2003-2004 season.
Game three tips off Thursday at 10 p.m.
