Kings drop 126-125 heartbreaker as Warriors tie series at 2-2
Apr 23, 2023, 5:03 PM | Updated: 7:17 pm
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Although the Sacramento Kings outscored the Golden State Warriors in three quarters during Sunday’s Game 5 showdown at Chase Center, this best-of-seven series will return to California’s capital city tied at 2-2.
The Warriors outscored the Kings 37-23 during the third quarter, something that proved fatal for Sacramento as they dropped a 126-125 heartbreaker in San Francisco.
In what was another chaotic matchup between these two talented teams, the Kings had an opportunity to win the game at the final buzzer as Harrison Barnes had a good look from beyond the three-point line. Barnes, a former Warrior, missed the game-winning attempt as Chase Center erupted.
This series has become a best-of-three showdown, with two of the final three games taking place at Golden 1 Center.
WARRIORS GET THE STOP.
SERIES TIED AT 2-2. pic.twitter.com/S1jkecKq0y— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2023
Another masterpiece of a performance from De’Aaron Fox helped bring Sacramento back from a late 10-point deficit, as the star guard scored 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the field to go along with nine rebounds and five assists.
Fox’s three-point shooting kept Sacramento alive late as the speedy guard knocked down a massive triple with 28.1 seconds remaining that trimmed Golden State’s lead to one.
The late triple from Fox capped off a four-point possession that started with an mental error by Stephen Curry, who called a timeout with 42 seconds remaining and the Warriors ahead 126-121. The issue with Curry’s decision was that Golden State was out of timeouts, meaning that the Kings would be awarded with a free throw and the possession.
After picking up a stop and calling a timeout with 10 seconds remaining, Sacramento would have an opportunity to win the game on the final possession of the afternoon.
Fox attempted to make his move toward the basket but was cut off by Curry and Draymond Green, forcing the guard to dish the ball to Barnes on the wing.
Barnes had an open look, but the shot hit back-iron as a sold-out crowd celebrated while blue and yellow streamers were dropped from the rafters.
“We had a wide-open look from the three-point line. Can’t ask for any more than that,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said of the play.
Barnes’ missed three-pointer stings, but there were plenty of mistakes made by Sacramento down the final stretch that cost them in the end. Continuing to force shots around the paint and sloppy turnovers (five in the fourth quarter) resulted in squandered opportunities to tie the game or take the lead on multiple occasions.
Brown highlighted his team’s mistakes during his postgame press conference, pointing to his players forcing shots and going to officials to beg for a whistle as a habit that needs to be corrected.
“We want to play fast. But all of our guys are driving into three guys in transition and begging for a call,” Brown said of his team’s tendencies during the loss. “We can’t continue to do that. We wasted a ton of drives in transition. Stop, spray the ball, and if we miss a wide-open three, that’s better than driving and throwing up some crazy stuff. You can’t rely on the referee.”
The three-pointers were finally falling for a Kings team that shot 27 percent from deep during the first three games of the series, as Sacramento shot 14-of-35 (40%) from beyond the arc on Sunday.
After scoring just 10 points during the first three games of this series, Keegan Murray officially introduced himself to NBA Playoff basketball on Sunday afternoon.
Murray broke a Sacramento era rookie record by scoring 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting from the field and five-of-seven from three-point range to go along with seven rebounds over 33 minutes.
K3333gan splashes home his fourth triple of the day 👌#FeelTheRoar pic.twitter.com/mjSoBqfGkQ
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 23, 2023
“I’ve just tried to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs and I knew eventually I’d catch my stride on the offensive end, so it’s just a matter of time and I came in confident,” Murray said of his breakthrough performance. “I just tried to figure out what they are doing against me and tried to figure out how I can get open looks.”
The 22-year-old created offense in a variety of ways, such as off the dribble, spot-up, and on curls when coming off of dribble-hand-offs with Domantas Sabonis.
As for Sabonis, the big man finally was able to orchestrate the offense after struggling to rack up the assists during the first three games of the series. After passing out 10 assists over the first three games, Sabonis finished the day with eight assists to go along with seven rebounds and 14 points.
Golden State continued to keep Sabonis in check thanks to defensive contributions from Kevon Looney and the return of Draymond Green as the Kings’ game plan involved more outside shooting than working out of the post.
The Kings looked awful on the offensive end during Game 3, but they were able to find a rhythm from deep while Fox and Murray carried the scoring load.
Sunday’s crushing loss can be attributed to an abysmal third quarter that saw Sacramento shoot 36 percent from the field while the Warriors secured five offensive rebounds. Even if you outscore an opponent in three quarters, it won’t guarantee a victory. That’s something that this Kings team has experienced many times this season.
“They’re the champions — we gotta bring it. If we don’t bring it, we’re going to get beat. There’s no tricks.”
🎙 Coach Mike Brown on the mental challenges for a young team making their NBA Playoffs debut.@kpgreatersac | #FeelTheRoar pic.twitter.com/xUPveH9pD4
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 23, 2023
While the end of Sunday’s game will surely leave a sour taste in the mouths of the Sacramento Kings and its fans, the stage has been set for a massive Game 5 matchup that will take place at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.
Series tied 2-2. A packed house at G1C. Winner moves one game away from advancing. NBA Playoff basketball at its best.
A series that has brought plenty of drama during the first four games is now guaranteed to go at least six games. If you were hoping for a swift resolution to this series, buckle up. We still have at least two more Kings vs. Warriors matchups on deck.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings Schedule
NBA Western Conference Playoffs – First Round
- Wednesday, April 26th – Game 5: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PST
- Friday, April 28th – Game 6**: Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – TBD
- Sunday, April 30th – Game 7**: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – TBD
**If necessary
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
