National Basketball Association
Golden State 114, Sacramento 100
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, March 24, 2017
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Officials:
#10 Ron Garretson, #33 Sean Corbin, #21 Dedric Taylor
Attendance:
19596
By The Sports Xchange
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors are the NBA's best in several categories this season.
On Friday night, they put their unmatched passing game on display.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green combined for 50 points and 20 of Golden State's 37 assists as the Warriors extended the NBA's longest active winning streak to six games with a 114-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
"That's when we're at our best -- when the ball's hopping and everybody's a threat to score," noted Curry, the game's leading scorer with 27 points. "Thirty-seven assists -- that's crazy when we missed 21 (3-pointers)."
Curry completed a double-double with a game-high 12 assists and Green complemented 23 points with eight assists for the Warriors (58-14), who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio (55-16) for the best record in the league and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Rookie Buddy Hield had 22 points for the Kings, who lost their eighth consecutive game in Oakland.
"We showed signs that we could play with those guys," Hield insisted after the Kings led by as many as five points early on and hung within single digits into the third quarter. "We pushed them to the max. Once we get all the young guys playing together with our vets, I think we can do something special."
The Warriors led just 62-55 in the third minute of the third quarter before Green contributed eight points, including two 3-pointers, to a 15-5 burst that opened a 17-point advantage. Curry had two hoops and Klay Thompson a 3-pointer in the run.
Green added a third 3-pointer late in the quarter, helping Golden State extend the margin to 92-72 by the end of the quarter.
The Warriors had 10 assists in the third quarter alone. The league leaders in assists per game finished with more than 30 for the 44th time this season, breaking the franchise record.
"It's contagious," Green said. "It's definitely a lot of fun when guys are really moving the ball like that. Even when you're not shooting the ball, just moving it along. It makes us successful."
Green's 23 points came on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor. His first of three 3-pointers pushed him ahead of Monta Ellis (351) and into 10th place on the Warriors' career list.
Curry also moved up the franchise charts with his five 3-pointers. He now has 277 for the year, the third most by a Warriors player in a season.
Thompson had 276 3-pointers last season.
The Warriors made just 10 of 31 3-pointers in the game.
"We didn't have the 3-point game going tonight, but I liked the fact that everybody was sharing," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We just have a lot of guys who can make plays and they are sharing the ball and doing a nice job."
Hield's 22 points came on 7-of-14 shooting that included four 3-pointers. He also found time for eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Ty Lawson had two 3-pointers in a 20-point night. Willie Cauley-Stein (12 points), Ben McLemore (11) and Skal Labissiere (10) also scored in double figures for the Kings, who have lost four in a row and 12 of their last 14.
Labissiere narrowly missed a triple-double, complementing his 10 points with a game-high-tying 10 rebounds and team-high eight assists.
"We've got to play through him," said Kings coach Dave Joerger, believing his team had underutilized the rookie big man. "We chuck up a lot of shots, and he went three, four, five minutes without touching the ball. He's a very willing passer."
Sacramento (27-45) was playing the opener of a three-day, two-game trip that continues Sunday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
NOTES: Despite the fact SF Kevin Durant (sprained knee) participated in non-contact drills at practice on Thursday and was energetically enjoying Friday's win from the sideline, the Warriors announced before the game that their leading scorer remains on schedule to be examined next Wednesday before any escalation in his on-court activity is considered. ... With a back-to-back coming up Sunday and Monday, the Kings elected to rest veterans PG Darren Collison and SG Tyreke Evans. ... Asked before the game about his appearance at his alma mater's NCAA Tournament game Thursday night in San Jose, Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a former University of Arizona standout, admitted, "Not what I was hoping for. I had to pay my debt to (Xavier alum) PF David West this morning." ... Kerr had another famous coach as his guest Friday night: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
Top Game Performances
Sacramento |
|
Golden State |
Buddy Hield 22 |
Scoring |
Stephen Curry 27 |
Skal Labissiere 8 |
Assists |
Stephen Curry 12 |
Skal Labissiere 10 |
Rebounds |
JaVale McGee 10 |
Buddy Hield 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Stephen Curry 4 |
Buddy Hield 2 |
Steals |
Stephen Curry 6 |
Kosta Koufos 1 |
Blocks |
David West 3 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Sacramento
|
100 |
48.2 |
10-21 |
10-13 |
27 |
37 |
4 |
7 |
21 |
Golden State
|
114 |
49.4 |
10-31 |
16-18 |
37 |
44 |
8 |
14 |
13 |
Upcoming Games
-
Golden State will play their next game at home against Memphis. The Warriors have a W/L % of .810 after a win and .786 after a loss.
-
Sacramento will play their next game on the road against LA Clippers. The Kings have a W/L % of .370 after a win and .378 after a loss.