Preview: Kings to battle Warriors in home opener at G1C
Oct 27, 2023, 9:32 AM | Updated: 9:33 am
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It’s not Déjà vu.
For the 11th time over their past 16 games dating back to last season, the Sacramento Kings will face the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
This budding Northern California rivalry will take center stage for the first time this season in front of a packed house at Golden 1 Center in what will be the Kings’ first game in front of its home fans this season.
Following last season’s thrilling seven-game Playoff series, the NBA has leaned into the Kings vs. Warriors rivalry, with Friday’s game set to air in front of a national audience on ESPN.
Sacramento and Golden State won’t have to wait long before meeting again following Friday’s action, as the two teams will meet in San Francisco next Wednesday (November 1st), followed by another meeting on November 28th.
Although Draymond Green’s absence due to an ankle sprain will take some juice out of the matchup, there will be plenty of energy on display when these two teams come face-to-face officially for the first time since Stephen Curry’s 50-point masterpiece in Game 7.
Kings. Warriors. Packed house at Golden 1 Center on a Friday night. Let’s get things rolling.
Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors Game Info
When: 7:00 PM PST
Where: Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
TV: ESPN, NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 5:30 PM on Game Night
Line: Kings -2.5, O/U 238
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Warriors coverage, beginning at 5:30 PM PST on Game Night before a 7:00 PM PST tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
Tickets: Click here
Kings vs. Warriors: A Growing Rivalry
During media day, Draymond Green was asked if he considers Kings vs. Warriors a rivalry.
“You start talking about the basketball side of it, and that team gained my respect,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Zena Keita.
“There’s a lot of teams we’ve played over the course of this run, and they ain’t gained any respect. But that team gained my respect. They got a bunch of young, hungry guys led by De’Aaron Fox, who will be a superstar in this league. They’re hungry, and they’re going after it, and I respect that.”
De’Aaron Fox echoed Green’s sentiment following October 18th’s preseason thriller at Chase Center.
“It’s a battle. We have respect for them, and obviously, we hope they have respect for us,” Fox said of the growing rivalry with the Warriors. “Going in night in and night out, we expect it to be a fight.”
With both teams set to be in the mix for playoff spots again in 2023-24, it looks like this rivalry will only gain steam as the season progresses.
Can the Kings keep Kevon Looney off the glass?
While Stephen Curry and De’Aaron Fox will be the marquee matchup, many eyes will be following Domantas Sabonis and Kevon Looney on Friday night.
Looney dominated Sacramento on the glass during April’s playoff series, averaging 15.1 rebounds per game over seven matchups.
The veteran center had a large hand in delivering the final nail in the Kings’ coffin during Game 7 by grabbing 21 rebounds (10 offensive) as Sabonis and Sacramento failed to match Looney’s physicality.
Offensive rebounds haunted the Kings during their playoff series loss to the Warriors, and Wednesday’s season-opener featured a similar issue as the Utah Jazz pulled down 16 offensive boards.
Sabonis has been impressive since the start of preseason play, and now that the All-NBA center’s fractured right hand has fully healed, it will be interesting to see if he can flip the script and come out on top in the battle of the boards against Looney.
Living By The Three
It’s no secret that Sacramento has a bevy of three-point shooters, and they put on a show during Wednesday’s season-opener in Salt Lake City.
The Kings shot 19-of-51 (37%) from long-range during the win, with the 19-made triples setting a franchise opening night record. Sacramento’s 51 attempts from beyond the arc would have been the second-most in any game last season (52).
De’Aaron knocks it down 👌 pic.twitter.com/Rq9tJvdfRH
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 26, 2023
Both of these two teams heavily rely on the long-ball, and you can expect to see plenty of attempts from three-point land on Friday night.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each took 11+ three-point attempts during Golden State’s season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns, and the ‘Splash Brothers’ will surely be on the attack once again when they face a Kings defense that allowed opponents to shoot 37 percent from deep last year (26th in the NBA).
Fox vs. Curry
De’Aaron Fox might have inked a deal to become the first NBA player under Stephen Curry’s shoe brand, but that doesn’t mean that the two All-Star guards will be holding back when they cross paths on the hardwood.
“Throughout the Playoffs–and this happened a lot–the [social media] would show the shoes [that players were wearing] and they’re like ‘Oh, he’s wearing Stephs,'” Fox said during a sit-down interview with Curry and ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
“I’m like ‘Well, Imma bust his a** in his shoes.’”
Stephen Curry signs De’Aaron Fox to his Curry Brand. The Sacramento Kings star will get his own signature shoe in Fall 2024 🏀
This is the first time an active player (Curry) signed another active player (Fox) to a signature shoe deal 👏 pic.twitter.com/EAmMa6uoEc
— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) October 26, 2023
Curry and Fox put on a show during April’s playoff series, and now the two stars will add another chapter to their growing rivalry (and business relationship) on Friday night.
Here’s how the two guards matched up during the seven-game playoff series:
(Stathead)
Injury Report
Sacramento
- Trey Lyles – OUT (left calf strain)
- Jalen Slawson – QUESTIONABLE (illness)
Golden State
- Draymond Green – OUT (left ankle sprain)
Sacramento Kings 2023-24 Regular Season Schedule
- Friday, October 27th – Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST (Home Opener)
- Sunday, October 29th – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 PM PST
- Wednesday, November 1st – Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST
- Saturday, November 4th – Sacramento Kings @ Houston Rockets – 5 PM PST
- Monday, November 6th – Sacramento Kings @ Houston Rockets – 5 PM PST
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