OAKLAND — The Warriors shook off a 3-for-17 start from downtown and a pesky Kings team to down Sacramento 114-100 Friday night at Oracle Arena.
Draymond Green delivered one of his best offensive performances of the season, scoring 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Green passed Monta Ellis on the Warriors’ franchise three-point list, knocking down No. 353 Friday night. It was Green’s fourth 20th point night of the season.
Steph Curry was the leading scorer with 27 points and flashed his shot late to bury the Kings — but it was his passing that turned heads on a rainy night in the East Bay. A long touchdown pass late in the third quarter led to an Andre Iguodala behind the back layup and roars from a sauced up crowd. The 12 assists from Curry marked a season-high. It’s almost as if he and Draymond traded roles for the night.
Curry did end up passing Klay Thompson’s mark for third-most 3-pointers in an NBA season, securing his 277th Friday. Curry owns the top two with 402 made 3’s last season and 286 from 2014-15.
As for the rest of the production? It was a very balanced night showing off the Warriors’ depth. Seven different players scored at least 8 points, including nice bursts off the bench from David West in the second quarter and Iguodala in the third. Ian Clark led all bench scorers with 10.
The Warriors weren’t flawless by any measure. The Kings kept it within 10 points during the first half and kept trimming the lead so much in the fourth quarter, Steve Kerr elected to sub Curry back in with six minutes remaining. The Warriors ended up hitting 32.3 percent of their three-pointers. The defensive energy showed up in spurts, but it didn’t last.
How’d the Warriors overcome these downfalls? Passing. Their 37 assists marked the 44th time they’ve tallied 30 or more helpers in a game. The 1984-85 Lakers have the record with 52 and that’s still in sight for Golden State with 10 games left.
The Warriors return to Oracle Arena Sunday to face the Memphis Grizzlies, a team they are 1-2 against so far this season.