In front of a raucous crowd at Golden 1 Center on Saturday, the Sacramento Kings defeated the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 126-123, in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series.
Sacramento clinched the first postseason victory on its home floor in 17 years. The Kings’ last home win in the playoffs came against the San Antonio Spurs in 2006.
Point guard De’Aaron Fox had a game to remember, posting a game-high 38 points, shooting 13-of-27 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range, adding five assists and three steals. Fox did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 29 in the third and fourth quarters.
Power forward Domantas Sabonis dominated the glass, scoring 12 points with 16 rebounds to post the Kings’ first postseason double-double since Bonzi Wells in 2006, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40.
Meanwhile, Malik Monk was a difference-maker off the bench, tallying 32 points with three rebounds and two assists.
Steph Curry led the Warriors’ effort, nearly winning the game singlehandily. Curry shot 11-of-20 from the field and 6-of-14 from beyond the arc, finishing with 30 points, adding six boards and two helpers.
The Kings and Warriors played an absolute classic on Saturday, close from tip-off to the final buzzer.
While the Warriors gained a six-point advantage at halftime, leading 61-55, Sacramento’s offense exploded in the third quarter. The Kings outscored the Warriors 36-29 in the third stanza, taking a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Kings and Warriors were on the seesaw for much of the fourth quarter. Every time Sacramento seemed to pull away, Golden State had a response. Though, down the stretch, the Kings had the advantage.
Leading the Warriors by three with under a minute to go, Curry cut it to only one, at 124-123, with 47.2 seconds left. However, after trading several fruitless possessions, Monk nailed two clutch free throws with 2.2 seconds left, increasing Sacramento’s lead back to three. Curry had a clean look at a 26-footer to tie the game at the buzzer but missed, giving the Kings a 1-0 series advantage.
The Kings will look to make it two in a row at home when they host the Warriors for Game 2 Monday at 10 p.m. EST.
