Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, center, lies on the floor as teammates Kevon Looney, left, and Andrew Wiggins, right check on his condition after a hard fall against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Golden 1 in Sacramento on Sat Apr 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The date was April 15th, 2023. That date will go down in Sacramento history for the Kings. It marked the first time in almost 17 years that the Kings played a playoff game. Sacramento was ready. The Kings fans had packed out downtown early in the day to prepare for the game.

The Kings were set to welcome in the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. The Warriors and Kings were ready for a first-round playoff matchup. The Kings and Warriors game was set to begin at 5:30 PM PST in Sacramento. The Kings took game one of the series 126-123 on Saturday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out playing very tight. It was evident in the first quarter that the Kings have very little playoff experience. Shots that the Kings would normally knock down were not falling early. However, the Kings really battled in the first quarter.

The Kings and Warriors both scored 29 points in the first quarter. Neither team got on any run in the first, as they both traded baskets. It became apparent the first team to go on an extended run would most likely win the game.

In the second quarter, the Warriors started to pull away a bit from the Kings. The Warriors outscored the Kings 32-26 in the second quarter to make a little separation at halftime. It was no secret in the game that the Kings starters were playing poorly. At halftime in the game, Kings starters were 0-10 from three-point land.

The Warriors didn’t get very hot either in the third but did just enough to gain the advantage. If the Kings wanted any chance in this game, they needed a strong third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings ended the quarter strong. It was an up-and-down quarter all around, but the Kings finished it on the run. The Kings managed to score 36 in the third quarter to take a one-point lead going into the final quarter of the game. The Kings starters were still struggling mightily, but the bench was picking them up. The Kings and Warriors would enter the fourth quarter with the Kings leading 91-90.

In the fourth quarter, it was a dogfight until the end. The Kings went on a run early in the quarter while Steph Curry was on the bench resting. The Kings run was 23-11, which got them back into position in the game. However, the game was not over yet. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson kept the Warriors in it all the way until the final minutes.

Ultimately, the Kings came through victorious as they defeated the Warriors in game . The Warriors were outscored by the Kings 35-33 in the final quarter. The Kings won as time expired on a missed one-leg three-pointer from Stephen Curry.

It was a huge win for Kings fans who had been waiting for this game for 17 years. The Kings best performances came from Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox, who scored 32 and 38, respectively. The Warriors best performance came from Curry, who scored 30 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home for game two of the series on Monday at 7 PM PST.