Warriors fail to answer Kings’ major shift as series heads to Game 7

With three-straight wins including a critical one on the road in Game 5, there was a sense among some that the Golden State Warriors’ path to the second-round was a foregone conclusion. Instead, the Sacramento Kings stunned the Chase Center crowd in an astonishing 118-99 victory to force a Game 7.

After the Warriors took a two-point lead after a low scoring opening period, the Kings controlled proceedings before completely blowing the defending champions away mid-way through the final quarter.

With his team’s season on the line, Mike Brown pulled all the right strings as the Golden State Warriors had no answer to the Sacramento Kings’ small-ball lineups.

Mike Brown’s decision to go small was half premeditated, half induced by the in-game circumstances. Despite their comfortable win, it was another rough game for Domantas Sabonis who fouled out after just seven points in 23 minutes.

Yet rather than leaning on backup center Alex Len, Brown avoided him entirely in preferring players scarcely seen throughout the first five games. That started with three-point shooting forward Trey Lyles who had averaged well less than 14 minutes over the last four games, but produced 12 points and nine rebounds in nearly 27 minutes on Friday.

In addition to Lyles as a small-ball five, Brown shifted gears with some of his perimeter options. Harrison Barnes and Davion Mitchell had both played significant minutes over the course of the series, yet each saw less than 15 minutes in Game 6.

Terrence Davis had played less than 13 combined minutes in the first five games, but played over 19 minutes in a bold move from Brown on Friday. It was an unexpected, unorthodox rotation that Steve Kerr wouldn’t have planned on, and the Warriors seemingly had no answer as the game progressed.

Unlike Brown, Kerr has been resolute with his rotation for the majority of the series, even if Draymond Green’s move to the bench has come as a surprise. There’s been no consideration to the likes of Jonathan Kuminga or Anthony Lamb, even though both played significant roles during the regular season.

It’s easy to say in hindsight, but was there a personnel move Kerr could have made when the game was slipping away? Kerr labeled it a poor night for everyone including himself, and conceded he was out coached by his former colleague.

The Warriors still have another opportunity to push on the second-round, but they’ll now need to do it in the hostile environment of Sacramento in a do-or-die Game 7. If Golden State fail to advance, serious question marks will be asked despite Kerr’s standing as a four-time championship winning coach.