Sacramento Kings Get By Warriors (again!) Through Buddy Hield’s 22
Led by Buddy Hield, the Sacramento Kings remain undefeated in Oracle Arena as they defeated the Golden State Warriors tonight by a score of 98-93.
A balanced scoring attack and Buddy Hield’s 22 points on 7/13 shooting pushed the Sacramento Kings past the Golden State Warriors in Oracle for the second time this season.
Game Summary
Through the first quarter, however, things did not look good for the Kings. The Warriors jumped out to a quick 16-9 lead and held a seven-point advantage at the end of the period. The Kings’ five first-quarter turnovers kept them from getting close to Golden State in the quarter despite Hield’s 11 early points.
The second quarter was quite the opposite. After the Warriors jumped out to a 50-42 lead, the Kings went on a 10-0 run to take a 52-50 advantage. The Warriors, however, were able to answer back as they outscored the Kings 9-5 at the end of the quarter to take a 59-57 halftime lead.
While the first half had the makings of a shootout, the second half provided anything but. Both teams opened the third with three scoreless minutes of basketball, with them combining for just 10 points total in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the quarter.
Luckily for Sacramento, the offensive issues were not just on their end. The Kings shot just 8/24 in the third, but Golden State only hit on 5/20 of their shots. Hield led Sacramento with 19 points after three, sending the Kings into a 75-75 tie going into the fourth.
Another slow start in the final period for both squads saw them combine for 11 points over the first 5 1/2 minutes. Despite the offensive fireworks, it was a close game down the stretch. De’Aaron Fox did not sink his first basket until there was 2:40 left in the game, but he was crucial as he helped spark the Kings’ epic comeback.
Sacramento took a 91-90 lead with 90 seconds left and they did not look back. A pair of free-throws from Buddy Hield combined with a clutch dunk from Willie Cauley-Stein gave the Kings another win over their Nor-Cal rivals. The Kings had seven players score at least eight points with Hield pacing them at 22. Skal Labissiere also chipped in 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Next time the Kings will play will be tomorrow as they face off against the Utah Jazz.