Steph-less Warriors run out of steam in loss to Sacramento Kings
The Warriors led for nearly the entire first half despite missing Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
At Sacramento's Golden 1 Center, Stephen Curry joined the pregame huddle via FaceTime, while a bespectacled Draymond Green served as assistant coach dressed in a navy blue sweatsuit. Jimmy Butler was absent from the game. Without their three key players—two of whom did not travel—the Warriors struggled to maintain their momentum against a Sacramento Kings team also missing important players.
Golden State quickly built a double-digit lead before halftime, but ultimately fell 121-116.
“It was an amazing effort by our guys, and it should be a learning experience for our group,” Coach Steve Kerr said after his B-squad was edged by a Kings team without Domantas Sabonis or Zach LaVine.
Rookie Will Richard led the Warriors with 30 points, Moses Moody scored a career-high 28, and Jonathan Kuminga added 24 points and a team-best nine rebounds. However, their efforts were outweighed by Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with five other Kings players scoring in double figures.
Richard, a second-round draft pick starting his first career game, and Kuminga accounted for all but two of Golden State’s first 23 points, pushing the team to a 32-25 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Summary: The Warriors, missing key stars, showed promising effort and strong rookie performances but ultimately fell short against a depleted Kings squad led by Westbrook’s triple-double.