Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by the Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) in the first quarter at Golden 1 in Sacramento on Tue Nov 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Tuesday night. The Kings returned home after a long road trip around the US. The Kings played well on the trip, going 4-2. However, an unfriendly opponent welcomed the Kings back home after four days off.

The Golden State Warriors were in town to face the Kings on Tuesday with a 7 PM PST tip-off. The Kings last played on the 24th against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Kings would win the game and clinch West Group C in the in-season tournament 124-123.

In the first quarter, the Kings played poorly. The Kings defense was atrocious in the first quarter, as they allowed the Warriors to score 37 points in the first quarter. The Kings defense was nonexistent, and the offense couldn’t pick up the slack as the Kings scored 29 points in the quarter.

The Kings were struggling again against the team that had appeared unbeatable by the Kings this season. The Kings would look for a spark in the second quarter to get back on track.

The Kings could have started the second quarter better. The Warriors expanded the lead early in the second quarter to 15 points with 6:12 to go in the half. The Kings were leaving much to be desired on the court in a big matchup on TNT.

The Kings needed help to get any rhythm going on the offensive end of the floor. The Warriors outscored the Kings in the second quarter 35-26. The Kings were down 72-55 heading into halftime. It was an embarrassing performance from the Kings in the first half. The Kings would look for any answer in the third quarter to make this a game.

In the third quarter, the Kings didn’t play much better to start the quarter. The Kings looked lifeless on the offensive end of the floor. However, the Kings did battle and got a few points black. The Kings outscored the Warriors 40-32 in the third quarter to come back a bit in the game.

The Kings would go into the game’s final quarter trailing 104-95. In the fourth quarter, the Kings would need to play some defense for the first time in the game to have a chance to win.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings made it a game. The Kings stormed back with an intensity not seen all game to make things interesting down the stretch. The Kings would win the game 124-123. The Kings offense was able to score 29 points in the fourth quarter. However, the difference was the Kings defense. The Kings defense held the Warriors to 19 points in the final 12 minutes.

The defense was the difference in the game for the Kings as they got their first win of the season against the Warriors. Malik Monk proved invaluable down the stretch as he hit the game’s last shot with seven seconds left to seal the deal.

The Warriors took the ball down the court with no timeouts, and Steph Curry missed a deep contested three-pointer to lose the game. The Kings were led in the victory by De’Aaron Fox, who had 29 points. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 29 points each.

The Kings also clinched West Group C in the NBA in-season tournament with the victory. They will host the Pelicans in the knockout round on Monday at 7 PM PST.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the LA Clippers on Wednesday at 7 PM PST. The Kings will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back.