3 Is The Magic Number: Kings, Warriors won’t shy away from three-point line

If you have watched one minute of Golden State Warriors basketball over the past eight years, you know this team has made a living by knocking down looks from beyond the three-point line.

Stephen Curry is the greatest three-point shooter in the game’s history and has already passed Ray Allen for first on the all-time three-point list. Klay Thompson, who led the league in made three-point field goals this season, is 11th all-time in made triples.

The Warriors have used their incredible marksmanship to their advantage over the years, winning four championships since the 2014-15 season while posting five top-three finishes in three-point shooting.

Golden State set an NBA single-season record for made three-point field goals in 2022-23, as they made 1,363 triples on 3,540 attempts (.385).

While the sharpshooting Warriors have a resume that would make most opponents feel easily outmatched on the perimeter, the Sacramento Kings have emerged as one of the league’s top three-point shooting teams.

When the Kings take the floor on Saturday in the franchise’s first NBA Playoff appearance since 2006, they will face their Northern California neighbor from just 87 miles away down I-80 in the Golden State Warriors.

Sacramento’s historic offense has propelled them into a top-three seed in the Western Conference standings, and three-point shooting has had a heavy hand in the team’s 48-win campaign.

Rookie forward Keegan Murray burst onto the scene in style, breaking Donovan Mitchell’s rookie record of 187 made triples before the end of March. Murray’s 207 made three-point field goals placed him sixth on Sacramento’s all-time single season list with a familiar face right behind him:

A fellow first-year King in Kevin Huerter.

Huerter, who had been acquired last July in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, finished his first season with Sacramento in seventh place on the all-time single season three-point field goal list with 206 triples–just one behind Murray.

Six players finished the season having made at least 200 three-point field goals while shooting 40 percent or higher on three-point attempts during the 2022-23 regular season. Four of those players will take the floor on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.

Curry, Thompson, Murray, and Huerter are players to watch for during this first-round playoff series, but both teams have several other threats from beyond the arc.

Golden State has Jordan Poole, who made 214 three-pointers this season, making the Warriors the only team in the league with three players that made 200 or more long-balls. Former Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo is another threat from deep, as the guard bounced back from injuries to made 150 triples on just under 40 percent shooting.

Andrew Wiggins is currently getting back into game-shape after missing 25 games due to personal reasons, but the forward will pose as another risk from the outside. Wiggins averaged 25 points per game on 39 percent shooting from deep during three appearances against the Kings this season.

Sacramento can turn to Malik Monk off the bench, a Sixth Man of the Year candidate who drilled 143 three-pointers in his first year in the purple and black. Former Warriors forward Harrison Barnes is capable of causing damage, even though he had a down year for his three-point standards (37%, his lowest since 2017-18).

Trey Lyles can give the Kings a boost off the bench, as the forward knocked down a career-high 87 three-pointers in 2022-23.

Both of these teams finished the league within the top ten of several three-point categories:

• Three-point field goals: Golden State (1st), Sacramento (5th)
• Three-point field goal attempts: Golden State (1st), Sacramento (6th)
• Three-point FG%: Golden State – 38.5%  (2nd), Sacramento – 36.9% (9th)

Living and dying by the three-ball is certainly a storyline to keep an eye on.

The Kings are 3-12 this season when they shoot under 30 percent from deep. Golden State is 6-19 this season when shooting under 35 percent from beyond the arc.

If one team can contain the other, there’s a good chance they will come away with the win, but these teams aren’t known for their three-point defense.

Sacramento has allowed opponents to shoot 37.3% from three-point land this season, the fifth-worst mark in the NBA. The Warriors have let opposing teams shoot 36.4% from deep, with is 18th in the league.

In head-to-head matchups this season, the Kings have allowed the Warriors to shoot 39 percent from three, while Sacramento has shot just 32 percent.

This series should have plenty of fire-power, especially from beyond the arc. There’s a strong chance that this series could come down to three-point shooting, and maybe more importantly, three-point defense.

If one of these teams run into a cold-spell, it could spell trouble in this heavyweight showdown of three-point shooting.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Schedule

NBA Western Conference Playoffs – First Round

• Saturday, April 15th – Game 1: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 5:30 PM PST
• April TBD – Game 2: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – TBD
• April TBD – Game 3: Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – TBD
• April TBD – Game 4: Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – TBD
• April TBD – Game 5**: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – TBD
• April TBD – Game 6**: Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – TBD
• April TBD – Game 7**: Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – TBD

**If necessary

Upcoming NBA Postseason Schedule

NBA Play-In Tournament takes place April 11-14th

• Wednesday, April 12th – Chicago Bulls (10) vs. Toronto Raptors (9) – 4:30 PM PST
• Wednesday, April 12th  – Oklahoma City Thunder (10) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (9) – 6:30 PM PST
• Friday, April 14th – Matchups TBD

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