In a game Steve Kerr openly called a “trap game,” the Warriors needed a clutch Klay Thompson fadeaway over two defenders with 0.2 seconds left to stave off a vicious Kings effort.
Without their best player, the Kings hauled in 14 offensive rebounds and limited Stephen Curry to a season-low 21 points, but Golden State still came out on top.
Behind Thompson’s game-winner, the Warriors (4-1) defeated the Kings 102-101 in the Chase Center. Golden State’s closing lineup of Curry, Thompson, Gary Payton II, Chris Paul and Draymond Green got it done.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ latest win over the Kings.
Trap game vibes
Kerr said he warned his team before the game that this was set up for a “trap game.”
“We better be ready, they’re coming for us,” Kerr told the media pregame.
So in the locker room at halftime, clinging to a one-point lead, surely the message was similar. The Warriors needed to play with intensity despite Sacramento’s talent disadvantage.
Then to start the second half, the Kings went on a 12-2 run. Kerr called a timeout, with GSW trailing 67-58. Coming out of the break, Golden State’s defense looked much more purposeful, and the Warriors cut into Sacramento’s lead. Message received.
But Sacramento was resilient and staved off a classic third quarter Warriors run. Golden State scored just 18 points in the third quarter. An area where the effort difference was on display: the Kings recorded 46 rebounds to Golden State’s 36. Part of that was Kevon Looney’s foul trouble, but at least some of it came down to hustle.
Golden State ramped it up when they needed to, and with the game in the balance, Golden State upped the defense even more. They swarmed in rotations, making every Kings halfcourt possession look like a meat grinder. Even off turnovers, the Warriors made things hard on Sacramento; Moses Moody chased down Kevin Huerter in transition for a key block.
The last 11:42 was a one-possession game, inviting mettle on both sides. The Kings sent frequent double teams at Curry, forcing other Warriors to beat them.
A Kings shot clock violation with 38.4 seconds allowed Curry to speed up the court and give GSW a a 100-99 lead. The Chase Center crowd rose to its feet and implored the defense to get one more stop, but Domantas Sabonis canned a midrange jumper.
Then Thompson, who was having a tough night, delivered.
Trap avoided.
Getting Wiggins involved
Andrew Wiggins is always going to be somewhat of an up-and-down scorer, but his early-season production has been surprisingly quiet. Entering Wednesday night, he’d averaged a career-low 10.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Even in Monday’s game without Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga, Wiggins mustered only nine points despite seemingly more opportunities.
At one point, Kerr admitted that the forward may quite be at his best following preseason.
But against the Kings, Wiggins found some aggression that may have been lacking.
On one play, Wiggins sealed his smaller defender under the hoop, caught an entry pass and scored over his right shoulder. It was the type of play that Wiggins should feast on — one in which he uses a matchup advantage and his athleticism to poke holes in opposing defenses. The Warriors aren’t going to run many plays for Wiggins, but in their system, there are plenty of opportunities to score within the flow of the offense.
Wiggins went into halftime leading all Warriors with 12 points — one off his previous season-high — on 5-for-8 shooting.
The Warriors don’t necessarily need to do anything to get Wiggins more involved offensively. That practically falls on Wiggins and his assertiveness level. Everything looks better when Wiggins rises to that bar, like he did Wednesday.
Wiggins only scored two points in the second half, though, and again finished the game on the bench. Sustained performance, both game-to-game and within games, is going to be the key.
The equalizers: 3-pointers and free throws
When a team is down a player of Fox’s caliber, the easiest way to make up the difference is in two areas: launching from 3-point land and getting to the line.
In the first half, the Kings won on both fronts, hitting one more 3-pointer than Golden State and attempting five more free throws.
In the third quarter, the Warriors didn’t allow a single free throw, but Sacramento hit four 3-pointers to extend their lead.
The Kings got to the line and hit their free throws in crunch time, making up for their halfcourt struggles and keeping them in lockstep with GSW.
In the end, though, Sacramento didn’t hit enough 3s — both teams sank 11 — and only had a marginal free throw advantage. The Warriors prevented them from creating the necessary chaos.