SACRAMENTO — This was as anticipated a first-round matchup as the Warriors have had in a long time.
Most of that anticipation resided about a two-hour drive northeast of the Bay, where hope and anxiety coalesced into a uniquely entertaining — and deafening — environment.
It took 17 years, but with a 126-123 win, the Kings got a long overdue playoff victory that they appreciated as much as any fanbase ever will.
A historic matchup
The entire city of Sacramento showed up on Saturday.
Cowbells and “Light the Beam!” chants rang outside the Golden 1 Center as an overwhelmingly Kings-friendly crowd funneled inside for a historic night.
The energy continued inside as fans waved plastic, purple beams, unmitigated by the sparse number of Warriors fans in the building.
It was the first playoff appearance for the Kings in 17 years, since the days of Mike Bibby and Peja Stojaković. It wasn’t just the first playoff matchup between the Warriors and Kings, it’s the first time they’ve been in the playoffs at the same time.
It was youth versus experience. Golden State’s roster came into the game with 817 combined playoff games. Sacramento had 183 (largely from Harrison Barnes).
But the Kings came out with a display belying the upside of youth. They’re too young to fear the Warriors. Why should they? They were the better team all year. They earned the third seed.
Aside from a woeful performance from Domantas Sabonis — who was great on the boards but pathetic offensively — they came out swinging.
De’Aaron Fox was almost flawless. He had 38 points (13-of-27, 4-of-8 from 3-pt, 8-of-12 from the line), 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 turnovers. It’s hard to remember a shot he missed.
Malik Monk was the key. He was outrageous, with 32 points off the bench in 29 minutes, going 14-of-14 from the line.
Trey Lyles was unconscious from deep, hitting 4-of-6 3-point shots and adding 16 huge bench points.
It was a slugfest. No team came close to pulling away. Golden State’s third-quarter lead of 10 was the most for either side.
When the Warriors got that lead, the Kings immediately responded. With Stephen Curry out of the game for a five-minute stretch in the late third into the fourth quarter, Sacramento outscored Golden State 23 to 11.
The late fourth a was a tit-for-tat affair. Klay Thompson and Curry battled with Fox and Monk, the latter of whom got to the line with consistency and seemed unable to miss.
It was that consistency getting to the stripe that the Warriors were unable to match, and probably made the difference. They’ll need answers for them in Game 2 and beyond.
Sabonis turtles, but gets carried
If the Kings are going to win this series, they’re going to need something out of their supposed No. 2, Domantas Sabonis.
He was wretched offensively Saturday. Kevon Looney and Draymond Green had a field day guarding him. He was held to 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting, but tallied 14 rebounds, some of which were key.
This isn’t a shot at everyone else on their roster, but counting on a 30-piece from Malik Monk and 16 from Trey Lyles probably isn’t a viable strategy to win this series. Or maybe it is. Time will tell.
But Sabonis got bodied in the series opener and if Monk doesn’t play the way he did going forward, the Kings will need him to produce.
A lightbulb moment as Wiggins returns
Andrew Wiggins made his long-awaited return on Saturday after missing 25-straight games due to a personal matter.
Almost immediately, there was an, “oh yeah, that guy,” moment.
He came back, took the floor with his typically understated demeanor, then launched into the fray like he was wearing moon shoes. He got his first shot blocked, then responded with a block of his own — one of those where he out-jumps the shooter, levitates, and looks down on them while spiking it with venom.
That wasn’t isolated. Wiggins had three blocks and 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in that first half in 14 minutes. His presence — cutting, driving, attacking passing lanes and air space, and taking on defensive assignments to consistently bother ball-handlers — was just as it was for the Warriors last postseason.
When the lead was down to four points in the middle of the third — following a turnover and fast break Kings score — he came back with his first three of the night, putting the Warriors back up seven.
He did, however, struggle from the line, and by the fourth, had played 20 minutes, the bottom end of the 20-to-25-minute mark reported as his limit. He ended up sticking in for the final eight minutes of the fourth, finishing with 28. Unfortunately he missed the biggest shot of the night, a wide open 3 that could have put the Warriors up with 10 seconds remaining. Overall, his 3-point shot was lacking, going 1-of-8 from deep.
Despite the loss, it’s evident that the Warriors with Wiggins and Gary Payton II are a far different team, and a far more competitive one defensively, even with the Kings’ outrageous second half.
