Game 7 will be between Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
After losing three straight games in a tight first-round series, the Kings beat the Warriors 118-99 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Game 7 is Sunday in Sacramento.
The Kings built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and never led by less than five the rest of the game. Considering their unexpected exit on the road after taking a 2-0 lead in the series, it was an impressive performance for a team with little playoff experience outside of Harrison Barnes, who owes that win to his current opponent.
Malik Monk led the way with 28 points on 8-for-14 shooting with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and some big plays, like the one in the third quarter when the Warriors were threatening to run. Very familiar.
De’Aaron Fox was big with 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Tomandas Sabonis and Keegan Murray combined for 14 offensive rebounds.
The feared Warriors run never came, and the Kings continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter. It was Golden State’s worst offensive performance of the series, shooting 37.6% as a team with 19 turnovers. The Warriors failed to take advantage of Sabonis spending nearly the entire game in foul trouble.
Now they must travel to Sacramento and try to fend off their road demons in front of an undoubtedly fierce Sacramento crowd, advancing in the first round. Since hiring Steve Kerr as head coach, the Warriors have never lost a series to a team in the West.
The Kings get a chance to change that on Sunday.
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