SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Malik Monk scored 28 points, DeRon Fox added 26 points and 11 assists, and the Sacramento Kings avoided elimination in the first round by defeating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 118-99. Friday night game 6.
Now, the winner-take-all Game 7 is back in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon.
Freshman Keegan Murray scored 15 points on four three-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds in his first career double-double game, and the No. 3 ranked Kings held off every scoring run the defending champions hit at home and shone in nearly every aspect of the game. This is with their own season on the line.
Kevin Huerter, who struggled with his shots all series—20 of 52 coming in the game—hit 3 with 6:23 to go and another with 4:58 as he gave the state capital Sacramento another chance to light the beam.
Curry scored 29, Klay Thompson 22 and Kevon Looney pulled down another 13 rebounds to give him an NBA-leading 85 this postseason. He was churning out a career-high 22 rebounds in the Game 5 win at the Golden 1 spot.
But the Kings, in the postseason for the first time since 2006, answered nearly every big game Golden State made in the third quarter and capitalized on regular errors. They drove the warriors to the boards.
The Kings led 90-80 going into the final 12 minutes. Curry hit the early 3, only for Trey Lyles to connect moments later. When Curry drove for a punt on the next possession, Monk made one of his own.
Curry 3 with 9:28 left got Golden State within 99-89 before Fox got there.
Fox’s first points came on a jump with 2:18 remaining on his first shot. Then he scored again the next time he still handled the broken index finger on his shooting hand. Shoot 10 for 18.
Sacramento snapped a six-game losing streak at the Warriors’ home ground dating back to a victory on February 25, 2020.
Lyles finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds while the others made the slump with Domantas Sabonis in bad trouble. The big guy had seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds before losing with 5:17 left.
Fox was frustrated by a poor final quarter in Wednesday’s 123-116 rout in which he led 0-for-6 from the field and was scoreless – the most he took in any final period without scoring.
Draymond Green came off the bench for the third straight game and received a standing ovation upon checking in for the first time at the 6:26 mark of the first quarter. He had 10 assists.
Both teams took a while to warm up, with Sacramento starting 6-for-23 and Golden State 6-for-19.
Payton degree
Golden State guard Gary Payton II surprised his mom, Monique, with his college diploma in person Friday morning. Payton was He promised her that he would finish his degree at Oregon State, and he did so recently to complete a major in Human Development and Family Science.
Tip-ins
Kings: The Sacramento bench edged the Warriors Reserves 52-21. … Kings were 4 of 16 to start deep but finished 17 of 45. … Sabonis suffered a cut under his left eye on a jump ball with Looney in the second quarter.
Warriors: Curry missed three free throws, an unheard of, as his team went 25-of-35 from the line. … The Warriors gave up 23 points in 19 turnovers. … Green committed his third foul at 7:09 of the second quarter. … Golden State is 8-3 in Game 6s dating back to 2015 for the title and 22-11 in close games.
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