Steph-less Warriors Fade in Loss to Sacramento Kings
The Warriors maintained a lead for nearly the entire first half despite missing key players Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. Stephen Curry joined the team’s pregame huddle via FaceTime, while Draymond Green acted as assistant coach dressed in a navy blue sweatsuit. Jimmy Butler was absent from the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.
Playing without their three biggest stars—two of whom did not travel to Sacramento—the Warriors eventually ran out of steam against a Kings squad also missing key players. Golden State took a double-digit lead before halftime but ultimately lost 121-116.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” said coach Steve Kerr after the team’s B-squad fell short against Sacramento, who were without Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.
Standout Performances Despite Defeat
- Rookie Will Richard led the Warriors with 30 points in his first career start.
- Moses Moody scored a career-high 28 points.
- Jonathan Kuminga contributed 24 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
However, these efforts were overshadowed by Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, supported by five other Kings players scoring in double figures.
Richard and Kuminga accounted for all but two of Golden State’s first 23 points, helping the team build a 32-25 lead after the first quarter.
Author’s summary: Without their top stars, the Warriors showed promising effort but ultimately couldn’t hold off a depleted yet effective Sacramento Kings squad led by Westbrook’s triple-double.