Willie Cauley-Stein Anchors Comeback For Kings in Oakland
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings and Willie Cauley-Stein shocked the NBA world tonight as they defeated the Golden State Warriors by a score of 110-106.
Game Summary
With no Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant for the Golden State Warriors tonight, the Sacramento Kings had a grand opportunity to grab a win in the Bay Area. To start the match, the Kings played solid as they were able to keep up with the Warriors offensively, resulting in a 27-27 tie after one.
In the second quarter, the Kings remained competitive. Although the Warriors threatened Sacramento with a scoring run, the Kings were able to sustain it and only trail by two points going into halftime.
The trend in the first half carried into the third period. The Warriors again started the quarter strong and went on a scoring run which could have been the beginning of the end for Sacramento. Instead, the Kings showed how gritty of a team they are and fought through the Warriors’ offense with stingy defense and efficient scoring of their own. Due to a great Sacramento effort, the Kings found a way to lead the Warriors 83-82 at the end of the period.
The contest remained close for a fourth straight quarter. Although Golden State led for most of the fourth, the Kings continued to fight which resulted in the score being tied in the final minute of the game. With under 30 seconds left in the contest, the Kings put the ball in the hands of Bogdan Bogdanovic who found a way to score in the paint to put the Kings back on top with 12 seconds left to play. Klay Thompson then attempted a three-point shot for the win but missed which resulted in a Bogdanovic rebound and free throws capping off the upset win for Sacramento.
Top Performers
There were many great performances tonight from Sacramento’s roster. George Hill had a solid offensive outing scoring 16 points on 60% shooting. Frank Mason continues to be a stud off the bench as he recorded 14 points (career high) and four assists. But the player who stood out the most was no doubt Willie Cauley-Stein.
For the last couple of weeks, Cauley-Stein has been a monster for Sacramento, and his dominance continued tonight as he recorded 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. Without Trill tonight, the Kings do not win this game as he was a menace towards the Warriors on both ends of the floor.
Final Thoughts
I know, I know. The Warriors were without two of their best players. But tonight’s match was still an impressive feat for the Kings as they closed a game against one of the strongest squads in the NBA on the road. There will not be much time to celebrate, however, as the Kings’ next game will be tomorrow as they face off against the Milwaukee Bucks.