How the Golden State Warriors dismantled the Sacramento Kings in Game 7

Fueled by Stephen Curry’s record-breaking performance, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-100 in Game 7, setting up a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Kings presented a unique challenge for the defending champs — a younger, overachieving team unafraid to fight fire with fire, led by Coach Mike Brown, who was all too familiar with the intricacies of the Warriors after serving as an assistant coach with Golden State from 2016-2022.

Fittingly, this series took all seven games to decide, but ultimately, the Warriors’ championship merit proved too much for the Kings to handle.

The Golden State Warriors used a dominant second-half to put away the Sacramento Kings in Game 7, so let’s look at how exactly they achieved it.

Curry’s performance for the ages

There’s nothing quite like a Game 7. All the chips are on the table, and the stakes are at their highest. The best of the best rise to occasions of this magnitude, and Stephen Curry met the moment on Sunday, his 50 points the most ever in a Game 7 in the history of the NBA.

Curry maneuvered the Kings’ defense in whichever way he wanted to the tune of 50 points on 20-for-38 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and six assists. Mike Brown and company threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Curry, but he never wavered. He invited double teams, using them as leverage to open up advantages for his teammates, and when the Kings opted to stay in single coverage, Curry cooked isolation.

His shooting prowess often overshadows the strides he’s made as an interior scorer, but Curry’s finishing ability was on full display in Game 7. He repeatedly torched the Kings at the point of attack and got his defender on his hip for easy drives to the basket. He embraced contact at the rim and had a few finishes through multiple black jerseys, including this tough and-one.

Yet again, with the fate of an entire organization resting on his shoulders, #30 answered the call.

Kevon Looney shines

Kevon Looney eclipsed the 20-rebound mark in three games in this series. His 10 offensive boards in Game 7 were game-changing. His relentless work on the offensive glass not only provides second-chance opportunities for the best offense of the last decade, but they are just as demoralizing for the opposition who’ve already worked so hard to force the initial miss.

Rebounding, like anything else, is an art, and Kevon Looney has mastered the art of strategically crashing the glass with both purpose and finesse. It is no coincidence Looney is always in the right place at the right time. He never stops battling for positioning and anticipates misses better than anyone on the floor.

The Warriors collected 13 offensive rebounds in the third-quarter alone — Looney pulled down seven of them. Looney’s complete control of the offensive glass tilted the momentum of the game in the third period and allowed the Warriors to maintain a bit of cushion until Steph Curry’s fourth-quarter eruption.

Looney dominated his individual matchup with Domantas Sabonis, and his impact transcended his work in the rebounding department. Defensively, Looney limited Sabonis to a subpar offensive showing once again, shutting him down completely in the second-half.

As he did throughout the series, Looney gave Sabonis plenty of space with the ball in his hands, practically daring him to shoot. Sabonis rarely made him pay, and when the Kings’ big man ventured into the paint, he was immediately stonewalled by a sea of white. The raw numbers may tell you otherwise, but as has been the case all series long, Sabonis did not leave a substantial imprint on this game.

Entering the series, many questioned if the 6’9 Looney would be able to hang with the 7’0 Sabonis. Looney outclassed Sabonis and almost played that man off the floor.

Warriors slow the game down, beat Kings in half court

Regardless of the outcome of the series, the Sacramento Kings were able to take three games from the defending champs. A big reason for that was their emphasis on pushing the pace and generating early offense.

De’Aaron Fox leading the charge, Sacramento got into their offensive sets as soon as they crossed half court, letting the ball fly early and often. The Warriors did well all series to disrupt Sacramento’s motion offense, but with the ball in the hands of Fox and Malik Monk, the Kings managed to create high-quality looks early in the shot clock off of dribble penetration and a steady dose of rim attacks.

Through the first six games of the series, the Warriors and Kings played at a pace that equaled 105 possessions per game. In Game 7, the pace slowed to 97.5. The Warriors were in full control of the tempo of the game, and the slower, grind-it-out style favored the veteran squad with championship pedigree.