Three reasons for Sacramento’s Game 6 win, and why the Warriors might be
in trouble in Game 7
NBA playoffs: Golden State Warriors need to make some quick adjustments
for Sunday's decisive game in Sacramento
>Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox (5) drives on Golden State Warriors’
Draymond Green (23) during the third quarter of Game 6 of the NBA
Western Conference first-round playoffs at Chase Center in San
Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News
Group)
By CURTIS PASHELKA | cpashelka@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 29, 2023 at 4:01 a.m. | UPDATED: April 29, 2023 at 4:07
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/04/29/three-reasons-for-sacramentos-game-6-win-and-why-the-warriors-might-be-in-trouble-in-game-7/

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors cut the deficit to five with under four
minutes to go in the third quarter, only to see the Sacramento Kings
respond with back-to-back 3-pointers. Steph Curry then scored six points
in just over a minute in the fourth quarter, right before the Kings
responded with a 9-3 run.

The Kings’ overall postseason résumé is not nearly as decorated as their
Northern California neighbors, but they looked like the more poised and
experienced team Friday in a 118-99 win over the Warriors in Game 6 of
their first-round series at Chase Center.

Golden State fell behind in the second quarter and never fully
recovered, setting up a do-or-die Game 7 against a younger — and
possibly hungrier — Kings team Sunday in Sacramento.

“I feel like we were in control basically the entire game tonight,” said
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, who has a fractured index finger but looked
good Friday with 26 points. “From start to finish, I feel like this is
probably the best game that we’ve played this year.”

That’s cause for concern for the Warriors, who do not have much time to
adjust before entering Golden1 Center’s hostile environment.

The Kings look like they’ve rediscovered their footing after three
straight losses.

“We expect it’s going to be electric, similar to the Game 1 type
atmosphere from both sides,” said Kevin Huerter, who had a series-high
12 points. “I think both fanbases will represent well. It’s a huge game
obviously. Win or go home.”

Here are five reasons why the Warriors might be in trouble, as they look
to avoid losing their first Western Conference playoff series in nine years.

1. ROTATION ADJUSTMENTS: The Kings threw a smaller lineup at the
Warriors, allowing them to spread the floor and create more open looks
and better opportunities to drive for Fox and Malik Monk.

Alex Len, Sacramento’s 7-foot-1 center, barely played after he averaged
over 10 minutes in the first five games. The smaller Trey Lyles, in
turn, played close to 27 minutes, about nine more minutes than any other
game this series.

Sacramento hit a series-high 17 3-pointers on 45 attempts.

>Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) argues a foul during Game 6
of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs against the
Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday,
April 28, 2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The smaller look worked well and showcased two of the Kings’ better
assets, speed, and outside shooting – and exposed a Golden State
weakness, as Kevon Looney and Draymond Green were limited in their
ability to bottle up the inside.

“We felt that Looney’s been kicking our behind, so it’s not like going
to Trey or going to somebody else from time to time would hurt us on the
glass,” Kings coach Mike Brown said, “because he’s already been doing work.”

“They made some nice adjustments to get Fox and Monk, to get them in
space to try and drive,” Curry said. “It was a different look. They have
that ability with their personnel. They can push those buttons.”

2. HUSTLE PLAYS: Domantas Sabonis only had seven points in 23 minutes
before he fouled out midway through the fourth quarter. But he had nine
offensive rebounds in that time, and the Kings had 18 as a team.

That led to 18-second chance points for Sacramento on 7 of (gasp!) 21
attempts. The Warriors, by comparison, had just eight second-chance
points on 4 of 12 attempts.

The Warriors can correct their effort for the decisive Game 7, but
they’ll have to do it on the road, where they won just 11 of 41 games
this regular season.

>Golden State Warriors' Kevon Looney (5) reaches a rebound against
Sacramento Kings' Kevin Huerter (9) during Game 6 of the NBA Western
Conference first-round playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco,
Calif., on Friday, April 28, 2023. The Sacramento Kings defeated the
Golden State Warriors 118-99. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

“We had 18 offensive rebounds. You’re going to have a great chance to
win, even if you’re not shooting the ball well,” Fox said. You’re going
to have a great chance to win if you’re getting 18 extra shots, not to
mention 10 steals there and (19) turnovers.”

Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 51 points and eight turnovers.

3. THE RUNNING GAME: Let’s be honest – the Kings are the quicker team in
this series, and it showed on both the offensive and defensive ends.

The Warriors’ 19 turnovers and 37.6 field goal shooting percentage led
to 18 fast break points for the Kings (the Warriors had nine).

“That was a big emphasis. Starting strong, starting early, and running
on them,” said Monk, who had 28 points off the bench.

Monk added that the one-day break between games worked to their
advantage, and to the Warriors’ detriment. “We knew we can run them a
little bit and we took advantage of that tonight.”

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There’s also a one-day turnaround before Game 7.

“I felt it a little bit more on them,” Monk said of the short break
between games 5 and 6. “They were a little tired. We’re a little younger
than they are, so we looked to take advantage of that and we’re going to
try to do the same thing Sunday.”

While Monk had an excellent game, and Lyles was one of five Kings
players who scored in double-digits, the Warriors didn’t get much
offense outside of Curry and Thompson, with Andrew Wiggins and Jordan
Poole going a combined 7-for-24 for 20 points. Draymond Green attempted
just two shots in 25 minutes and was a minus-13. Thompson was minus-28.

>Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox (5) shoots between the Golden State
Warriors' Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Draymond Green during the
third quarter of Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference first-round
playoffs at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, April 28,
2023. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Are the Kings the favorites in Game 7? Let’s put it this way, they feel
like they’re playing with house money.

“Not having any pressure, man,” Monk said. “It’s no pressure for us
because didn’t nobody think we would be here.

“Just closing the game here, going back to Sac just give us a little bit
more confidence to show what we can do now. We held them to 100 points,
and that’s hard to do with this team, especially since they’re the
defending champs. “So it just gives us a lot more confidence.”

--
Curtis Pashelka | San Jose Sharks reporter
Curtis Pashelka is a Bay Area News Group sports reporter covering the
San Jose Sharks for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. He has also
worked as a general assignment reporter covering the Oakland Athletics,
San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, motorsports, golf, college
basketball and high school sports. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, he
moved to the Bay Area in 1994 and began working full-time for Bay Area
News Group in 2000. Curtis attended Diablo Valley College and San
Francisco State University.