Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (center) can’t be stopped by the Golden State Warriors top star players forward Draymond Green (left) and guard Stephen Curry at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 13, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night as they welcomed in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors last played on Friday night as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. The Kings also last played on Friday in Los Angeles when they beat the Lakers.

On Sunday, it looked to be a fun matchup. The World Champion Warriors were taking on the upstart Sacramento Kings in Golden One Center at 6 PM PST. Game result was a 122-115 win for the Kings. The Warriors remain with a winless road record.

In the first quarter, the Kings didn’t look great. They didn’t play any defense, and the offense couldn’t pick up the difference. In a dismal first quarter, the Kings gave up 39 points to the Warriors, who started the night with a hot shooting hand. The Kings only scored 26 points in the first quarter. Warriors guard Stephen Curry continued his shooting terror, starting the game by scoring 13 in the first.

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. It was almost a complete role reversal for the Kings. The Kings played solid defense and held the Warriors to only 23 points in the second quarter. On the other hand, the Kings offense came alive and scored 38 on the Warriors in the second.

The Kings were led in the first half by Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, who had 13 and 12, respectively. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in the first half, scoring 18 points. The Kings would lead the Warriors heading into halftime 64-62. The Kings would look to close out the Warriors in the second half but could Curry light a fire under the Warriors and lead them back?

In the third quarter, both teams fought tooth and nail. Neither team could seem to figure out the defensive end of the floor. The offense seemed to be getting to most of the spots they wanted. The Kings managed to outscore the Warriors for the second quarter in a row, 34-29 in the third. The Kings showed poise and avoided the third-quarter meltdown. Could the Kings close out the defending champs? The Kings entered the final quarter of action leading 98-91.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings started to lose control of the game. The Kings had played well in the second half until they started to get sloppy with the ball and commit mental mistakes. The Kings committed a series of bad offensive fouls that seemed to turn the tide in the game.

However, De’Aaron Fox was able to lead the Kings to victory in the second half. The Kings managed to defeat the Warriors in a seven point victory. It was an excellent show from the Kings against the defending champs to not give in after halftime and close out the win. The Kings were led by an incredible performance from Domantas Sabonis, who had 26-22-8 for his line. Fox finished the game with 22 points leading the Kings back into momentum in the final quarter.

Up Next: The Kings stay home at Golden 1 to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7 PM PST