Vince Carter walks over to the Warriors bench after the game to talk to players and Coach Kerr pic.twitter.com/OGbYm1NSFD
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 1, 2018
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Golden State guard Patrick McCaw left on a stretcher late in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 112-96 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night after a terrifying thud to the floor following an undercut by Vince Carter that appeared unintentional.
McCaw was transported to UC Davis Medical Center for further evaluation, the team said.
He drove the baseline and went down with a thud at the 41.8-second mark of the third quarter, hit in the lower body by Carter. McCaw lay still and in agony for about 10 minutes as the crowd quieted. Carter, who was given a Flagrant-1 foul, knelt nearby as medical personnel from both teams along with Warriors coach Steve Kerr rushed out to the baseline beneath Golden State’s basket.
Players for both teams eventually came to the floor as McCaw was placed on a stretcher and wheeled away with his neck stabilized. McCaw, who appeared to be trying to dunk, did a scissor kick in the air over Carter’s right shoulder before landing hard on his troublesome back.
Patrick McCaw hurt after taking a hard fall under the hoop pic.twitter.com/0mYUeSpjKQ
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 1, 2018
Kerr swore and was visibly frustrated and hollered “He knows better,” referring to Carter, before going out to the court to check on his second-year guard. Carter got close to McCaw and offered some words just before the stretcher was pulled away. The two teams then gathered in a huddle before the game resumed.
Kevin Durant had 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in his first full game back from a rib injury. Durant had returned Thursday night against Milwaukee but got ejected just before halftime for using vulgarities.
Fellow All-Star Klay Thompson played Saturday following an eight-game absence with a broken right thumb and contributed 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting as the defending champions snapped a rare three-game losing streak.
Everything appeared peaceful outside Golden 1 Center, where police on horses and officers in riot gear surrounded the arena hours before tipoff. Protesters have joined hands at recent games following the shooting death by police of unarmed black man Stephon Clark on March 18.
Earlier Saturday, former Kings star and Sacramento native Matt Barnes organized a rally and pledged to create a scholarship fund for the children of black men killed by police.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr found himself on the defensive before the game for not attending the rally after he pledged his organization’s support to Clark’s family and the community.
“I’m coaching the Warriors tonight and we’re kind of busy today,” Kerr said before adding, “I think you guys know our team, we’re very socially aware and active and we’ve got a lot of players who do a lot of good in the community and who care about what’s going on. And we all care about what’s happening here and we’re very compassionate first and foremost to the Clark family but also to the community. We support the protests. Everybody in our organization wants to see a change and wants to see justice.”
De’Aaron Fox had 15 points and eight assists and Buddy Hield scored 19 off the bench in the Kings’ fourth straight defeat.
After taking an elbow, Shaun Livingston grabbed a driving Skal Labissiere with 4:40 left in the second quarter and tempers flared. Officials went to replay review and Livingston received a Flagrant 1.
TIP-INS
Warriors: F Omri Casspi missed playing against his former team, sitting out a seventh straight game with a sprained right ankle. … Golden State won both meetings in Sacramento but lost twice to the Kings at home. … The Warriors haven’t lost four straight since Feb. 26-March 2, 2013.
Kings: Sacramento was trying to become the first Western Conference team since 2014-15 to beat Golden State three times in the same season. … Sacramento signed F Nigel Hayes.
ANOTHER MARK
Golden State won 55 games for the fourth straight season, the 15th time it has happened in NBA history and first since the Spurs did so five consecutive times from 2012-2017.
WELTS TO HALL OF FAME
Warriors chief operating officer Rick Welts was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, part of a 13-person class that also includes player development consultant and former MVP Steve Nash.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host Phoenix on Sunday night, their second-to-last time playing on consecutive nights. The Warriors have beaten the Suns 13 straight times, 12 in a row at home.
Kings: At the Lakers on Sunday to open a stretch of four road games before ending the season at home against Houston.
