Preview: Kings & Warriors set for winner-take-all Game 7 in Sacramento

Apr 29, 2023, 9:06 AM | Updated: Apr 30, 2023, 3:27 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after De'Aaron Fox ...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

It’s only fitting that the most-entertaining first-round NBA Playoff series goes the distance. The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors will face off in a winner-take-all Game 7 showdown on Sunday at Golden 1 Center, with the winner advancing to the second round for a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It seemed as if the Kings had run out of steam following Wednesday’s Game 5 loss at home, but they quickly threw water on that notion with a convincing 118-99 win over the Warriors at Chase Center in Game 6 to send this series to a decisive seventh game.

Through six games of this hard-fought series, Sacramento holds a slim 696-691 lead in points scored. That’s how close of a series it’s been between these two Northern California foes.

The Kings have never won a Game 7 since moving to California’s capital city in 1985, but they will look to change that against a Warriors team that holds a 2-1 record in winner-take-all games during the Steve Kerr era (2014-present).

Friday’s Game 6 win was undoubtedly stacked against Sacramento, as the Kings had lost 11 straight road playoff games, and Golden State had won 13 of its last 14 home playoff games. When you factor in the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak against the Kings at Chase Center, it seemed this series was a wrap.

Instead, the best road team in the Western Conference showed up in a big way, handing Golden State its most lopsided loss during a potential series-clinching game in its franchise’s extensive history.

In an elimination game on the road.

The Sacramento Kings, everyone. pic.twitter.com/7FytWI4tSi

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) April 29, 2023

It all comes down to this.

A young, hungry, relentless Kings team will attempt to send home a Warriors team that has won four championships over the past eight years, including last summer’s NBA Finals.

Fans in the 916 have long waited for an opportunity to attend a Game 7–21 years. The last Game 7 played in Sacramento was Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. A win on Sunday gives the Kings a chance to face Los Angeles in the second round.

It’s shaping up to be another wild, memorable day at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors Game Info

Series: Tied at 3-3

When: 12:30 PM PST

Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA

TV: ABC

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Pregame coverage starts at 9:00 AM PM PST with Jason Ross

Line: Kings -1.5, O/U: 229

Will The Three-Point Success Continue

After going 10-of-34 (29%) during their Game 5 loss at home, the Kings’ three-point shooting came through when they needed it most on Friday.

Sacramento made 17 of their 45 attempts (38%) from beyond the arc during the Game 6 win, as players like Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and Kevin Huerter all finished the night with three made triples or more.

Huerter’s contributions were noteworthy as the guard shook off his series struggles to score 12 points on three-of-eight shooting from three-point land over 29 minutes.

If the Kings can keep Huerter trending in the right direction in Game 7, they will have a far better chance of securing the win while taking pressure off Murray, Monk, and Harrison Barnes to carry the load from the perimeter.

WELCOME BACK, KEVIN HUERTER‼️ pic.twitter.com/7ZVNd3bxHd

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 29, 2023

Murray has been a bright spot over the past three games, averaging 16.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc (7.3 attempts per game) while playing 37.5 minutes per game.

Players like Monk and De’Aaron Fox are streaky with their three-point contributions and are known to penetrate the key and find ways to score that way, but Murray and Huerter are Sacramento’s strongest three-point threats.

If both can get going, it bodes well for the Kings’ chances.

Can Sacramento Contain The Splash Brothers?

The Golden State Warriors have become a juggernaut over the past decade because of its sharp-shooting duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but the ‘Splash Brothers’ were unable to will their team to a series win on Friday.

‘Game Six Klay’ wasn’t impressive during the loss, scoring 22 points on eight-of-20 shooting and two-of-nine from three-point range. Curry got his looks but finished the game nine-of-21 from the field and six-of-nine from the free-throw line during a 29-point outing.

As a team, the Warriors struggled on offense during a 99-point outing in Game 6, finishing the night having shot 37 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range.

While the Kings successfully held Curry and Thompson at bay on Friday, they must ensure that the two don’t get free in Game 7. Any hot streak from either player could be crucial in swinging the game’s momentum.

Game 7’s are fragile and can be lost within minutes if Golden State mounts one of its infamous lopsided scoring runs. Keeping Curry and Thompson to similar performances that we saw in Game 6 is critical for Sacramento.

If the ‘Splash Brothers’ struggle on Sunday, there’s a good chance the Kings will punch their tickets to the second round.

Curry during three career Game 7’s: 28.2 PTS | 7.2 AST | 44% FG | 43% 3PT

Thompson during three career Game 7’s: 17.2 PTS | 41% FG | 39% 3PT

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Stephen Curry #30 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors sit on the bench before Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 26, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Do All Roads Lead To Los Angeles?

This is what Kings fans have been waiting 20 years for.

In their first playoff series since 2006, Sacramento has a chance to dethrone the defending champions and possibly end the Golden State Warriors’ reign as a dynasty.

A win gives the Kings a chance at revenge against the Lakers, an old playoff rivalry with plenty of bad blood between the two franchises. The last time that Sacramento and Los Angeles faced off in an NBA Playoff series was in 2002–arguably the most controversial postseason series in the league’s storied history.

The chance to chase redemption is there for the Kings, and they can do so by first taking down a Warriors team that has been in control of Northern California basketball for the past decade.

Is it time to turn the page? Game 7 will give us all the answers we’re looking for.

Buckle up for a wild afternoon at Golden 1 Center.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Schedule

NBA Western Conference Playoffs – First Round