Curry’s Big Night, No-Call On Last Play Highlight Warriors’ Win Over Kings

Nov 7, 2022, 10:45 PM | Updated: Apr 10, 2023, 12:36 pm

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 07: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded ...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

After taking a double-digit lead into the second half, the Sacramento Kings had the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on the ropes.

The Warriors trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter as it appeared that they were close to dropping their sixth-straight game, but two-time MVP Steph Curry had other plans.

Curry completely took over during the second half as the Kings’ defense could do nothing but watch as the 34-year-old exploded for 47 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the field and seven-of-12 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.

Sacramento’s late lead evaporated during the closing moments, and as we have already seen over the first weeks of the season, Monday night’s game ended in another controversy that fans will certainly be discussing in the coming days.

Looks like Klay fouled Huerter to uspic.twitter.com/xoCveFKr8i

— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) November 8, 2022

After the Kings made the questionable decision to let the game clock go down to just 1.3 seconds, they were forced to foul Curry and send the guard to the line for two free throws. Curry drilled both to give Golden State a 116-113 lead, but Sacramento would have one final chance at sending the game to overtime out of the timeout.

De’Aaron Fox found Kevin Huerter off of a curl on the inbound, and the guard let his game-tying attempt fly as the buzzer sounded. Warriors guard Klay Thompson made contact with Huerter, but the referees did not blow their whistles as the game clock struck zero.

Much like we saw during last week’s game in Miami, Sacramento saw another game slip through its fingers during the final possession on plays that came down to questionable no-calls.

“It’s tough being a Sacramento King. Kevin got fouled,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said of the final play following Monday’s game. “Just like in the Miami game, I asked the ref if it was a foul, and he said no. It was clearly a foul. To have two games like that on the road where the whistle is swallowed, it’s tough. It’s tough for my guys in the locker room that are working their butts off.

“I just want, at the end of the game, somebody to step up and make the right call. A guy gets hit on the arm shooting a three, it’s a foul. A guy takes six steps or four steps, it’s a travel. We just want an opportunity to win in overtime.”

Sacramento finished its four-game road trip with a 2-2 record, and both of those losses certainly could have gone either way. Of course, we are in an era where moral victories are no longer accepted–not after 16 years of misery. The Kings had their chances on Monday and were in control of this game early in the fourth quarter before Curry got hot.

If you take Curry out of the equation, Golden State finished the night 27-of-64 (42%) from the field and seven-of-26 (26%) from beyond the arc. Brown threw Terence Davis and Davion Mitchell at Curry late, but to no avail. Curry scored 17 points during the fourth quarter, while Andrew Wiggins scored 13 points of his own during the final period as the duo singlehandedly outscored the Kings (25 points) during crunch time.

Steph for the lead?
YUP. pic.twitter.com/JFSv1ipeSV

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 8, 2022

Even with De’Aaron Fox (28 points) and Malik Monk (24 points) both locked in, Sacramento lacked a legitimate third option during the final stretch. Domantas Sabonis was feeling it early, but once Golden State’s defense closed in on the big man, he was forced to take tough shots and eventually finished the night six-of-15 from the field.

When players like Harrison Barnes (0 points), Keegan Murray (six points), and Kevin Huerter (11 points) struggle in unison, it’s going to be tough for the Kings to win basketball games.

It all comes down to closing out games, and even amid their worst stretch of basketball in over two years, the Golden State Warriors proved that teams like Sacramento still have a lot to learn when it comes to locking down a win–with or without the help from referees.

Takeaways

Sacramento was feeling it during the first half as they shot 10-of-22 (45%) from beyond the three-point arc. In the second half, they lost their way as they went four-of-18 (22%) from three.
Richaun Holmes registered a DNP-CD as Brown opted to go with Chimezie Metu at the backup center spot. Holmes has struggled in a reserve role and now appears to have fallen out of the rotation.
De’Aaron Fox is shooting 31/33 (93%) from the free-throw line since going 3-of-6 against the Clippers back on October 22nd.
Golden State has now won seven-straight games vs Sacramento dating back to April of 2021. The Kings haven’t defeated the Warriors since March 25, 2021.

Coming Up

At long last, the Sacramento Kings will return to Golden 1 Center after 10 days away when they face a loaded Cleveland Cavaliers team on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to get all of your Kings vs Cavs coverage on Sactown Sports 1140 starting at 3:00 pm PST on Cattles & Ramie before action tips off at 7:00 pm PST from downtown Sacramento.