One last chance to keep the dynasty alive, and they took it.
After embarrassing themselves in a Game 6 closeout opportunity at home on Friday, Sunday offered the Warriors the ability to keep their dynastic run going.
In a game that featured vintage Stephen Curry, a rebound-obsessed Kevon Looney, Golden State went up to Sacramento and took a 120-100 Game 7 win to secure a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stephen Curry carries the Warriors in record-setting fashion
It’s hard to get sick of watching Curry. Unless you’re a fan of a team who’s been beaten by him and are bitter about it — which, to be fair, is quite a lot of people — you can’t help but be awestruck by him.
In Game 7, he put the Warriors on his back.
He wasn’t getting shooting help from Klay Thompson or Andrew Wiggins. Both scored in double digits, but were dreadfully inefficient from the field and the line. Thompson (16 points, 5 rebounds) was 4-of-19 from the field and 2-of-10 from deep. Wiggins (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal) was 5-of-16 and 1-of-5 from deep.
Jordan Poole was, as has often been the case, terrible. He had 8 points (3-of-9 from the field, 2-of-6 from 3-pt) and 3 rebounds, making some boneheaded decisions along the way.
It needed to be Curry. And it was.
Sometimes he takes his time getting involved as a scorer to facilitate better chances for his teammates. That was not the case on Sunday.
He was scoring from the jump, and doing it with physicality.
The way he’s changed his body since he came into the league was as evident in this game as it ever has been. Curry played nearly 38 minutes and would have played more if not for blowing the Kings out. In that time, he was constantly probing, cutting, driving, hand-fighting on both ends and getting to the rim.
Oh, and he turned the ball over just one. As a team, Golden State, the team with the worst turnover mark in the league this season (16.3 per game), had just seven on Sunday.
It was a game where it was clear early on he’d have to carry the Warriors offensively. He did.
Curry finished with 50 points (20-of-38, 7-of-18 from 3-pt, 3-of-5 from FT line), 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. That’s a career high for him in the playoffs and the most in NBA history — surpassing Kevin Durant — in a Game 7.
In the pantheon of great Curry games, this one is way, way up there.
He knew it, too. Every single time the camera cut to him in the second half, Curry had an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face. Now, to the benefit of every neutral NBA fan, he’ll meet LeBron James in the playoffs again.
Looney, once again, with outrageous offensive rebounding
The entire third quarter was teach tape in how to rebound on the offensive glass. It was sparked by Kevon Looney.
It started after what seemed like a promising moment from Klay Thompson.
He opened the third quarter with one of those gorgeous, patented fading jumpers, then drew a foul, and missed both free throws. Draymond Green snagged the offensive rebound, then Thompson wedged the ball in the rim. Then, after Looney won the jump ball, he hit a corner three. Thompson couldn’t hit almost anything, but he was relentless.
A minute later, Looney grabbed a defensive rebound, and the most relentless, ridiculous series unfolded.
Curry missed a layup. Looney got the offensive rebound. Curry missed again. Wiggins came flying in and got the ball back to Curry, who made an impressive snag, then scored.
On the next sequence, Curry missed a layup, but Looney snagged the offensive board. Andrew Wiggins then drove on De’Aaron Fox, getting to the line and forcing the fourth foul on Fox. Wiggins missed his second free throw and Looney grabbed another offensive rebound that didn’t result in anything.
But on the next possession? You guessed it. Looney again. And once again, it resulted in a Wiggins drive and Looney to the line. He almost grabbed another offensive board when Wiggins missed his second free throw again.
A minute after that? Looney. Again. Jordan Poole missed a 3-pointer that Gary Payton II grabbed. Wiggins missed a 3-pointer. Looney grabbed it. Wiggins missed a layup. Looney grabbed it. Then he finished at the rim.
When he checked out late in the third quarter, Looney had 7 points, 4 assists and 18 rebounds, 10 on the offensive glass.
Even with him out, the effort continued. After a 3-point miss from Curry, Wiggins grabbed the offensive rebound, which led to a strip by Golden State retaining possession, and a timeout.
As a team, the Warriors had 13 offensive rebounds to just 3 for the Kings.
Mike Brown acknowledged the obvious to his team in a mic’d-up timeout: “Right now, they want it more than us.” He said they were getting demolished on the offensive glass.
The only thing that kept the Kings in the game was some horrific free throw shooting. Golden State was 7-of-16 from the free throw line in the third. The Kings were 8-of-11 at the line in the third.
It almost felt like there was a momentum shift at the end of third. Malik Monk grabbed an offensive rebound and a putback finish for an and-one.
But with 1.4 seconds left on the clock, Klay Thompson, despite all his struggles, hit an enormous, deep 3-pointer while getting fouled. He finished the 4-point play at the line to give the Warriors a 10-point lead going into the fourth.
To start the fourth, guess who? Thompson missed. Looney grabbed the board. Curry missed. Looney grabbed it.
Looney finished with 11 points, 21 rebounds (10 on the offensive glass) and 4 assists. He was monumental.
Sacramento’s effort, and questions for Mike Brown
Credit has to be given to the Kings.
They were the Warriors’ equals for most of this series. But in Game 7, they ran up against the buzzsaw that is Stephen Curry and Kevon Looney.
Looney, as he’s done all season, made mincemeat of Domantas Sabonis. He’s simply far craftier and a more intelligent player despite having less natural talent.
De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk had incredible series, but they struggled mightily on Sunday. Fox was 5-of-19 and Monk was 4-of-14.
The main question that will be asked is whether Mike Brown erred in going with Terence Davis as the primary defender on Curry instead of Davion Mitchell, who fared far better.
He also left Davis in instead of going with center Alex Len, who had some success as a rebounder, roller and lob threat for the Kings.
Brown, though, stuck with Davis, and it didn’t work. Kings fans will also wonder whether the series would have been different if Fox hadn’t fractured his finger.
Those are questions, though, that will linger without answer. Sacramento has plenty to be excited about next season. They can make upgrades with their young core and have every reason to believe they’ll remain competitive.