By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Sacramento Kings are the real deal.
Despite entering the 2023 NBA playoffs as the heavy underdogs against the defending champions Golden State Warriors, the young and electric Sacramento team proved why they are the higher seed and stunned them again in Game 2, 114-106, to take a comfortable 2-0 lead last April 18, 2023.
In an anticipated high-octane back-and-forth game of runs, it was Sacramento again that sustained their firepower until the final buzzer.
With the game tied at 93-all after a Gary Payton II three-pointer with six minutes left in the ball game, Sacramento knew they would be in for a long night as the Warriors completed its comeback from a double-digit deficit.
However, the Kings once again got the stability that they badly needed after superstar De’ Aaron Fox stole the limelight in the most crucial stretch of the game.
The savvy leftie floor general made three consecutive huge plays that answered Stephen Curry’s personal scoring frenzy: First a sweet floater that helped them retake the lead and two consecutive dimes to small forward Harrison Barnes that gave them the 101-95 lead.
Klay Thompson was able to answer back with two-straight shots from downtown that kept Golden State within a point, 102-101, with only 3:10 remaining in the intense ball game.
Needing a big bucket to keep up with Golden State’s three-point party, Fox delivered the early blow after draining a trey from the top of the key to balloon Sacramento’s lead back to six points, 107-101.
With Golden State slowing down in the last two minutes of the game, the Kings continued to put points on board including another aggressive drive from Barnes for a 111-103 cushion with 1:42 remaining.
Fox extended his stellar scoring performance for Sacramento and led the Kings with his 24-point outing alongside nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis, the team’s superstar big man, bounced back from a disappointing Game 1 shooting and equalized Fox’s points made with nine boards and four dimes.
On the other hand, Golden State had their moments in the game where they looked like they grasped momentum but everything halted when their defensive heart and soul Draymond Green got ejected with 7:03 remaining in the final canto.
In a scrambled possession where Sabonis was seen holding onto Green’s foot to avoid an easy fast break chance for the Warriors, the match officials saw that Golden State’s power forward appeared to stomp over the latter’s chest, thus, meeting the criteria for a disqualifying foul.
Green’s loss was a huge blow for the struggling Warriors after seeing their no. 1 defensive player go out with plenty of time left in a must-win game on the road.
“My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights. Referees just watch it. I’ve got to land my foot somewhere. I’m not the most flexible person, so it’s not stretching that far. I can only step so far,” said Green after the post-game interview.
