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What we learned as Kings can't stop Warriors in third straight loss

What we learned as Kings can't stop Warriors in third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SAN FRANCISCO – Turns out that 29-point loss to the New York Knicks wasn’t rock bottom for the Kings. Three days after getting shellacked at home, Sacramento’s 2024-25 NBA season reached a new low in Thursday’s 130-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Losing to the four-time NBA champions wasn’t the worst part, especially with center Domantas Sabonis again not able to play due to his hamstring injury.

It was the aesthetics that made it so bad.

The Kings’ season-long defensive issues were on full display in a bad way at Chase Center. Time and time again, Warriors’ shooters were given uncontested, wide-open looks. Even when Sacramento tried to D up, Golden State’s offense was too much to handle.

It wasn’t Stephen Curry doing the majority of damage. Although the NBA icon reached another mercurial plateau with his 4,000 career 3-pointer, it was the Warriors’ all-around effort that wore the Kings down.

On the positive side, DeMar DeRozan remained hot with 23 points and seven assists. Keon Ellis added 18 points off the bench while Zach LaVine scored 14. Jake LaRavia had 13 points.

The Kings (33-32) don’t have much time to lick their wounds. They head to Phoenix for a key game against the Suns on Friday. Despite the loss to Golden State, Sacramento remains the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference while Phoenix is on the outer edge of the NBA play-in round.

The Kings came out against the Warriors a little sluggish on offense but seemed intent on preventing Curry from going off. That worked for a while, but the domino effect was what really hurt Sacramento.

With all that attention on Curry, the Kings were out of position when it came to defending Golden State’s other players. Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield made four 3-pointers apiece. Quinten Post and Gary Payton II each made three 3-pointers.

Sacramento trailed bv 23 in the first half before a late run in the second quarter to make things respectable at the break. Those good vibes went away shortly after halftime, as Golden State increased its lead in the third quarter then coasted in the fourth.

Here are the takeaways from Thursday’s game:

Where’s The Closeout?

Sacramento’s perimeter defense might as well have been on the back of a milk carton. It was missing most of the night, one of the key reasons that enabled Golden State to control the flow and rhythm of the game.

Warriors shooters repeatedly were left wide open, either from the corner or at the top of the arc, and made good on their attempts when given space to operate.

Perimeter defense has been an issue for the Kings all season and was one of former coach Mike Brown’s biggest pet peeves. If they can’t get it corrected before the NBA playoffs, it will be a short but tiring postseason for the Kings.

No Domas, No Interior

With Sabonis still sitting out with a grade 1 hamstring strain, the Kings basically had zero presence on the inside, offensively and defensively.

Sacramento, which had four shots blocked in the key within the first 10 minutes of the game, did OK early without their big man in the middle and scored nearly a dozen points in the paint before settling for contested jumpers and distance shots.

Jonas Valančiūnas continued to start at center in Sabonis’ absence and finished with five points and nine rebounds.

Sabonis’ unique ability to score from inside and outside makes him a perennial NBA All-Star contender, and those elements clearly were a sore spot against the Warriors. The good news is that Kings interim coach Doug Christie is optimistic that Sabonis would return soon.

Monk’s Off Night

Making his second consecutive start after missing a trio of games with a toe injury, Kings guard Malik Monk had a frustrating night. Although his offensive numbers were low – seven points on 3-of-13 shooting (0-for-5 from distance) Monk grabbed four boards and dished out six assists.

Monk obviously has earned a strong reputation for coming off the bench, but he has been very good as a starter for the Kings. Keeping him with the starters, despite his off night against Golden State, is a must for Christie.

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What we learned as Steph makes history in Warriors' win vs. Kings

What we learned as Steph makes history in Warriors' win vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors on Thursday night at Chase Center began with back-to-back booms by Draymond Green, who hit threes from the right corner on Golden State’s first two possessions, but all eyes were on Steph Curry’s countdown to 4,000 career 3-pointers. 

History was made during the third quarter, and the Warriors held off the Kings for a 130-104 win to continue their successful homestand. 

Curry played 30 minutes and was held to 11 points on the Kings’ defense that looked to make anybody else beat them. 

The Warriors’ leading scorer, however, was a surprise. Green scored a season-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and was 4 of 7 on threes. He also added five rebounds and four assists.

The anticipation of Curry’s latest historic shot wasn’t the only storyline everyone was waiting to see unfold. Jonathan Kuminga returned from an ankle injury that had sidelined him since Jan. 4 and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Kuminga was spry and active, scoring 18 points off the bench in 20 minutes, going 7 of 10 from the field and was a plus-8.

This was a group project aced by many. The Warriors had eight players score in double figures, from the starting lineup and four off the bench.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ season-best sixth win in a row.

4K Curry

Before Curry even took one three, the Warriors already had shot four and made half of them. But the first time Curry let it fly, he cashed in from the left wing. Curry then missed his first chance at making his 4,000th career three, clanking from the top of the arc. 

The next three Curry took again was unsuccessful, putting him one three away from his major milestone through the first half.

A little under four minutes into the third quarter, Curry hit 4K on his fourth attempt of the game. Curry used a pump fake to get Trey Lyles to fly past him, dribbled once to his left and again defied basketball history for the umpteenth time. 

During the next timeout, the Warriors played a special tribute video that began with former Warrior Andris Biedrins, who assisted Curry on his first career made 3-pointer as a Warrior on Oct. 30, 2009, his second game in the NBA. Curry made his 1,000th three in his sixth season. He made it to 2,000 early in his ninth season, 3,000 in his 13th season and now 4,000 in his 16th season.

Now, imagine if Curry played more than 26 games in his third season, and wasn’t held to five games in the pandemic-riddled 2019-20 NBA season. The record books will never be the same.

Kuminga’s Impressive Return

The wait finally ended at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter. Kuminga, after missing the Warriors’ previous 31 games, was back on the court following a Kings timeout. He replaced Jimmy Butler, joining Curry, Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post. 

His first shot attempt was a tough finish at the rim on Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas that didn’t fall through. Still, the Warriors loved Kuminga’s intent and decision. He also pushed the ball in transition and assisted Curry on his first three of the night. Then with a little more than three minutes left in the first quarter, Kuminga scored his first points in 68 days. 

Kuminga went coast to coast, hesitated for a second with his left and then blew by Malik Monk for a strong left-handed layup.

That’s exactly what the Warriors want to see out of Kuminga. His first stint was lively, lasting five minutes in which he was a plus-4. Kuminga in the first half played nine minutes and scored six points on 2-of-3 shooting, and also had three rebounds and one assist.

He played another 11 minutes in the second half, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Aside from Curry’s three, the best moment of the night was Kuminga throwing down multiple dunks in the fourth quarter, including an alley-oop from Green.

Kings’ 4-On-4 Strategy

If Keegan Murray was in the game when Curry was on the court, he face guarded Curry everywhere he went. The same goes for Kings guard Keon Ellis. The game turned to 4-on-4 to prevent Curry from making more history. 

Turns out that Curry guy is a pretty decent decoy. 

The Warriors in the first quarter shot 13 threes, with only two coming from Curry. They went 7 of 13 in that span. Going into halftime, the Warriors were shooting 57.1 percent beyond the arc, going 12 of 21, and Curry only was responsible for one made three. 

Before Curry made his 4,000th career 3-pointer, the Warriors as a team were 14 of 23, amounting to 60.1 percent. Green had made four threes. Post and Gary Payton II had made three, and Moody, Buddy Hield and Gui Santos each had made one. 

Kings interim coach Doug Christie’s strategy worked for stretches, taking Curry out of the game as a scorer. More often than not, however, the Warriors as a whole made him pay for it. They made 22 of their 39 3-point attempts while the Kings finished 14 of 37, giving Golden State a 24-point advantage from long distance.

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Tom Thibodeau, Mikal Bridges had 'productive' meeting to clear the air ahead of Knicks' win

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau asked to meet with Mikal Bridges before Wednesday's overtime win against the Trail Blazers, looking to clear the air over the small forward's comments regarding starters' minutes, sources familiar with the situation told SNY's Ian Begley.

Sources described the meeting as "productive."

Bridges is averaging a career-high 37.8 minutes per night in his first season since being acquired from the Nets.

He is one of three Knicks who currently sit in the top-10 in the league in total minutes on the year with Jalen Brunson (2,162; 10th) and Josh Hart (2,307; 2nd) joining him.

The 28-year-old argued that giving the bench unit more playing time could help keep them fresh.

“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "We’ve got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes. Which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there."

The head coach countered that a conversation with Bridges did not take place and defended his minutes distribution.

“We never had a conversation about it,” Thibodeau said. “The facts are the facts. When you look at our team, and the way it works, Jalen plays 35 minutes, and I think he’s 20th or 21st in average minutes played. [Karl-Anthony Towns], who is a primary scorer, plays less than Jalen. He’s like 25th in the league in average minutes."

MSG Network's Mike Breen first noted on Wednesday night's broadcast that the two had talked before the game, and cameras caught the two chatting during the matchup.

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Union, Chick-Fil-A pair up for promotion: ‘Corner Kicken for Chicken'

Union, Chick-Fil-A pair up for promotion: ‘Corner Kicken for Chicken' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Piggybacking on the popularity of the Sixers’ wildly popular “Bricken for Chicken,” the Philadelphia Union has partnered with restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A for a promotion of their own.

The current top team in the Eastern Conference (3-0-0) today announced “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” which will continue through the 2027 MLS season.

https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/1900216396497227841

For those unfamiliar with “Bricken for Chicken,” Sixers fans were rewarded with chicken nuggets when a Sixers’ opponent misses two free throws during the second half of every home game. If it happens multiple times in the same game, the amount of nuggets increases: Five for one instance, then eight, then an even dozen.

Similarly, for the Union’s “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” (as you could probably guess by now) fans score nugs if the Union score from a corner kick. And just like the Sixers, the more they score, the more nuggets for fans.

Fans can claim the offer on the Chick-Fil-A app until 10:30 a.m. the day after the Union’s game, and one claimed, they have three days to redeem.

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Watch Steph make his 4,000th 3-pointer in Warriors-Kings game

Watch Steph make his 4,000th 3-pointer in Warriors-Kings game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry once again etched his name in the NBA record books.

Curry became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointers Thursday after draining a triple in the third quarter of the Warriors’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. After the bucket, the home crowd rained down “MVP” chants upon the 3-point king.

Curry’s first NBA 3-pointer came on Oct. 30, 2009, against the Phoenix Suns in his second professional game, and nearly 16 years later the Warriors superstar stands alone in the record books.

Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden is the only other player in NBA history to eclipse 3,000 made 3-pointers, but still sits nearly 1,000 behind Curry despite the two entering the league in the same 2009 draft class.

Curry also eclipsed the 25,000-career point mark this past Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, further adding to his already cemented status as one of the greatest players ever to step on an NBA court.

Curry always will be synonymous with the 3-point shot, and while his current mark of 4,000 and counting might already be insurmountable, it appears the two-time NBA MVP is showing no signs of slowing down and could add even more triples to his gaudy count.

Could 5,000 ultimately be in play before Curry decides to retire? He’s under contract with the Warriors through the 2026-27 NBA season, with his basketball future beyond that undetermined

Time will tell, but one thing is certain — no basketball fan would be surprised to see Curry finish on a number never to be matched by another NBA player.

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Mikal Bridges reportedly asked Thibodeau to lighten up starters' minutes, Thibs denies talk happened

Mikal Bridges played 41 minutes Wednesday night in Portland, and he wouldn't want to give one of those seconds back because he did this during the final play of the game.

Still, 41 minutes is a lot, and it's not just this game. No player has played more total minutes this season than Bridges' 2,460 (and counting). Second on that list? Josh Hart. The Knicks preferred starting five — Jalen Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns — has played more minutes than any five-man unit in the league by 334 minutes, the equivalent of almost seven more games.

That led Bridges to approach Thibodeau about lightening the load on the starters a little, reported Stephan Bondy at the New York Post.

"Sometimes it's not fun on the body," Bridges said. "You'll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we've got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don't need to play 48 (minutes), 47.

"We've got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes. Which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there."

Except, Thibodeau said Wednesday that conversation never happened and then went on to defend his minutes distribution. Again from Bondy:

"We never had a conversation about it...

"The facts are the facts: Your wings play more. So they're matched up with primary scorers," Thibodeau said. "So the way it works is if Jayson Tatum is in the game and Jaylen Brown is in the game, OG will be in the game and Mikal will be in the game. Try to keep the matchups. When you look at the league, all those guys are playing 35, 36 minutes — whether it's [Kevin] Durant, Tatum or a Brown. A wing is going to play more. They're primary wing defenders. That's the way the league works."

As it has been with Thibodeau teams in the past, the concern is that he wears players and teams down before the postseason. The Knicks are pretty locked into the No. 3 seed in the East, but right now that sets up a first-round matchup with a Detroit team that will not be a pushover and could be trouble for a worn-down Knicks team (and that doesn't even touch on seeing Boston in the second round). The hope would be that Thibodeau will lighten minutes near the end of the season to have legs fresh for the postseason. It's something to monitor in the coming weeks.

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Lonnie Walker IV enters concussion protocol after hard fall in Toronto

Lonnie Walker IV enters concussion protocol after hard fall in Toronto   originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Lonnie Walker IV is the latest sidelined Sixer in the team’s injury-packed season.

A Sixers official said Walker was diagnosed with a concussion Thursday morning, has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be evaluated daily. 

Walker rose for a defensive rebound Wednesday night, got fouled by the Raptors’ Colin Castleton and hit the back of his head on the floor. He exited the game with 6:24 left in the first quarter and did not return for the rest of the Sixers’ loss in Toronto.

Under the NBA’s concussion protocol, a player must have no concussion-related symptoms at rest and then complete a multi-step return process monitored by a member of a team’s medical staff. 

Before his 20-second stint Wednesday, Walker had played nine times since signing with the Sixers and averaged 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 

On top of Walker, the 22-43 Sixers listed the following players as out for their Friday night meeting with the 36-28 Pacers:

  • Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain and right finger sprain)
  • Paul George (left groin soreness) 
  • Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) 
  • Joel Embiid (season-ending left knee injury)
  • Eric Gordon (season-ending right wrist surgery)
  • Jared McCain (season-ending left lateral meniscus surgery)

Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Justin Edwards (left ankle sprain) and Alex Reese (left shoulder contusion) were questionable.

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Sabonis out for Kings vs. Warriors game with hamstring injury

Sabonis out for Kings vs. Warriors game with hamstring injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings are ready to bounce back from an ugly home loss Monday night, but they’ll have to do so without their star center.

Domantas Sabonis, who originally was questionable for Sacramento’s NorCal showdown Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, will miss his sixth consecutive game with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Sabonis was cleared for on-court activity Saturday and practiced with the team Wednesday, but the team likely is being cautious with his return.

Kings backup big man Jonas Valančiūnas, who has stepped up in that starting role in Sabonis’ absence, likely will get the start against the Warriors.

Before his injury, Sabonis was averaging 19.5 points on 59.6-percent shooting from the field and 43.2 percent from 3-point range, with a league-leading 14.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 56 games this season.

In five games without Sabonis, Valančiūnas, who the Kings acquired at this year’s trade deadline, is averaging 13.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting, with 12.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in five games.

Kings forward/center Trey Lyles is questionable with left leg soreness, and Jake LaRavia was upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday’s game.

For Golden State, Jonathan Kuminga, who has missed the last 31 games with a nagging ankle sprain, is listed as probable. Gary Payton II was upgraded to available, and Brandin Pódziemski is out with a bilateral back strain.

The Warriors (37-28), who have won five consecutive games and 10 of their last 11, sit in the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed entering Thursday’s contest.

The Kings (33-31), who are coming off a 133-104 blowout home loss to the New York Knicks, currently are ninth in the West.

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