The Warriors overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a 17-2 run to pick up a 130-125 victory on Friday night in Sacramento.
TEAM LEADERS
With 4:23 left in the fourth quarter, Sacramento’s Willie Cauley-Stein made a free throw to cap a 10-0 Kings run that put the Kings up 123-13. From that point on, the Dubs out-scored their Northern California neighbor 17-2 to steal a 130-125 victory on Friday night in Sacramento.
Kevin Durant scored the first six points of the game-winning run and Klay Thompson put the Dubs in front with a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with 39.6 seconds left before Stephen Curry put the game away with four straight free throws.
That it was that trio that punctuated the thrilling finish was only fitting, as the trio combined for 95 points. And the play of Draymond Green can’t be ignored. He finished with 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his second double-double of the season (first of rebound/assist variety) in addition to playing his usual tough defense.
Curry led the way with 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Durant had 13 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and Thompson came through with 27 points, but none bigger than his last of four splashes.
That the Warriors even needed to come back was a bit of a shocker. Playing against the second fastest-paced team in the league, the Dubs had no issues keeping up in the early going. The Dubs made 11 of their first 13 shots in the opening quarter, and those two misses were collected by the Dubs, who capped those possessions with buckets. The Warriors would go on to score 42 points in the first quarter, their sixth 40-point quarter of the season and fourth in the opening quarter.
As hot as the Warriors were, the Kings did more than just hang around. Fueled by Warriors turnovers and the play of De’Aaron Fox, who scored 11 straight Kings points during a 25-5 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters, the Kings took their first lead in the early moments of the final period.
The Warriors made just four of their first 19 shots in the fourth quarter, and their second straight disappointing defeat looked almost certain, but Durant took charge and the Dubs capitalized on Kings miscues to pick up their second dramatic win over the Kings in as many tries this season.
With the win, the Dubs improve to 20-10 on the season, and they’ll have the weekend off before coming back home to host the Grizzlies on Monday.
More notable moments from Friday's win:
- The Warriors improved to 20-10 (.667) and 8-7 on the road (.533) this season, including four-straight road wins.
- The Warriors have won 20 of their last 24 games against the Kings (2-0 this season), including three-straight in Sacramento.
- The Warriors improved to 18-3 when hitting 10 or more threes this season (2-7 when hitting fewer than 10).
- Golden State is now 11-1 this season when scoring at least 120 points.
- With the game tied at 113 apiece, Sacramento went on a 10-0 spurt, which was followed by a 10-0 Warriors run… Golden State earned its fifth double-digit comeback this season.
- The Warriors dished out 32 assists, their ninth 30-assist game this season (8-1 in those games).
- Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined to score 95 points, marking the second-most points the trio has scored as teammates, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
- Klay Thompson, who hit the game-winning shot with 5.4 seconds remaining in Golden State’s 117-116 win over Sacramento on Nov. 24, hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 39.6 seconds remaining in tonight’s game… Thompson finished with 27 points and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds.
- Kevon Looney scored in double figures for the fifth time this season, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-5 from the field to go with eight rebounds.