In their do-or-die Game 6 clash with the Golden State Warriors the Sacramento Kings showed why they are one of the few teams in the Western Conference able to get some home cooking going on any road court in the league.
Heading into their game on Friday night, a spectacular Sacramento Kings season was on the brink of coming to an end. They were down 3-2 in their series with the defending champion Golden State Warriors and playing in one of the toughest arenas to win in over the last decade.
No big deal, because the young team that took the league by storm this season again showed why the hometown team was always in for a tough test against these road warriors.
It was unsurprising that the Golden State Warriors finished with the lead after the first 12 minutes. They had confidence from having the series lead, a resume of achievements second to none, and a raucous hometown crowd rooting them on. However, it was not long before the Sacramento Kings took the lead early in the second, and they never gave it up en route to a destructive 118-99 victory.
Sacramento Kings were perfectly imperfect in Game 6 versus Golden State Warriors
The team that won the most road games of any in the conference (25) was far from perfect on Friday night. All-Star Domantas Sabonis was non-existent as he scored just seven points and was in foul trouble all night, and Harrison Barnes was ineffective and only on the floor for 15 minutes. However, it didn’t matter.
De’Aaron Fox was the equal of Golden State legend Stephen Curry for much of the game, as he posted 26 points and 11 assists, but he was assisted by a fantastic performance from sixth-man Malik Monk. The well-traveled six-year veteran chipped in with a Kings-high 28 points off the bench and nailed several big threes in the fourth when Fox finally cooled off in the second half.
While Warriors superstars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both scored over 20, the future Hall-of-Famers shot terribly and were part of the worst shooting performance for the team this season. In getting their first W this postseason, these “road warriors” also handed Golden State just their second playoff loss at Chase Center since it opened in 2019.
Sunday night was a night where the Sacramento Kings not only showed their excellence on the road, by why they very well could be the offensive heir apparent to Golden State. As they shot better from three (38% to 31%) than the team with two of the greatest three-point shooters of all time. And when either team did miss, the Kings outrebounded their foes 53-42.
Along with the Warriors being unable to lean on their typical out-of-this-world three-point shooting, they did not deliver inside. Going from pummeling Sacramento in the paint with 60 points in Game 5 to only managing 36 in their own building on Friday night.
Adding insult to injury, Monk’s phenomenal performance looms large because, after gettings 33 points from the bench in Game 5, the Golden State Warriors subs were absolutely crushed by the Kings’ bench 52-23 in Game 6. With Trey Lyles offering a surprise 12 as a brilliant replacement for a disappointing Alex Len by NBA “Coach of the Year” Mike Brown in the second half.
Now, one of the worst road teams in the 2022-2023 season must go into what will be a very hostile environment looking to avoid shockingly being out in the first round after winning it all last season. It’s always hard to bet against the Golden State Warriors, but the Sacramento Kings have all the momentum heading into what will be a must-see Game 7 on Sunday.