Golden State Warriors Aim for Two Straight Wins Against Sacramento Kings
By Greg Chin
When the Golden State Warriors visit the Sacramento Kings later tonight, the Kings’ fans will be hoping for a better result than the last time the two teams met. In case anyone forgot, Klay Thompson broke several NBA records on his way to putting up a career-high 52 points against the Kings. It was a spectacular performance that people haven’t stopped talking about.
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Tonight’s game will also be the fourth and final game between the two teams in their regular season series. The Warriors are 3-0 against the Kings this season, and have won by an average of 21 points per contest. The Dubs’ dominance over the Kings extends beyond this season, as they haven’t lost to the Kings in seven-straight games.
With All-Star Break just around the corner, the Warriors will play their toughest and most gruelling stretch of the season. Tonight’s game will be the first of six in nine days before All-Star proceedings begin. Five of those games will be on the road, and will play the next 11 of their 13 games on the road. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, no other team in the league has such a stretch on its schedule this season.
To put things into perspective, the Warriors will only play two home games in February.
Needless to say, this month will make-or-break the team’s title credentials.
Key Matchups
Darren Collison vs Stephen Curry: In his last game against the Kings, Curry had one of his sub-par nights, going for ten points and 11 assists. Granted, he stopped shooting in the third quarter as the team made a concerted effort to give Klay the ball, but his 2-for-7 shooting from deep was troubling. Collison is known for his defensive intensity, and it will be interesting to watch the two point guards duel.
Ben McLemore/Ray McCallum/Nik Stauskas vs Klay Thompson: The trio of defenders Kings’ coach Ty Corbin used on Thompson might just suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder tonight. None of the defenders Corbin used were able to stop Thompson that night, and it might just give the mental edge to Klay in tonight’s contest.
DeMarcus Cousins vs Andrew Bogut: One cannot talk about the Kings without talking about DeMarcus Cousins. Known as one of the best offensive centers in the league, Cousins was picked for his first All-Star appearance over the weekend. Bogut will have his hands full dealing with his young talented physical specimen of a center.
Keys to the Game
- Attack, Attack
The Kings are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They allow 105.8 points per possessions, while the Warriors score 109.6 points per 100 possessions on average. The Dubs will need to go on the offensive early, and make the Kings pay for their porous defense.
- Defensive Rebounding
A worrying trend has shown up in the Warriors’ games recently. The team is starting to struggle against teams that feature two big men in their lineup. They give up the most offensive rebounds in the league (12.7 per game), and while they’re still the best defensive team in the league, the defensive possession doesn’t end until the defending team secures the rebound. Going up against the third best rebounder in the league in Cousins, the Dubs will need to show a concerted effort on the glass.
- Early Start, Early Finish
As I mentioned earlier, the Warriors’ upcoming schedule is brutal. After tonight, they will take on the Dallas Mavericks at home. After which, they’ll have a one day break before playing the Atlanta Hawks at Atlanta, and will finish off their back-to-back set against the New York Knicks. The Warriors will need to get out to a good lead tonight, so they can give their starters ample rest for tomorrow night’s clash. The bench will be key over the next few nights.
Prediction: A comfortable win for the Golden State Warriors. After their much improved performance in the second half against the Phoenix Suns, I’m inclined to think that the Warriors’ mini-slump is over. Getting out to a good start and maintaining that energy will almost guarantee a win.