Stephen Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 factors and answered again and again to will the defending champions on of their quest for a repeat, Kevon Looney grabbed 21 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors superior to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Sacramento Kings 120-100 within the winner-take-all Game 7.
Curry’s factors are essentially the most in NBA historical past in a Game 7, topping former teammate Kevin Durant’s 48 for the Nets in opposition to Milwaukee in 2021.
The Warriors fell behind 2-0 on this sequence then received twice on the highway in entrance of a hostile, cowbell-clanging crowd within the California capital to turn out to be the primary reigning champion to drop the primary two video games and win any postseason sequence.
Now, carry on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers within the Western Conference semifinals with all that NBA Finals historical past with James and Golden State relationship to his Cleveland days. Game 1 is Tuesday evening at Chase Center.
Sacramento’s particular comeback season is over lengthy earlier than these younger Kings had deliberate. After snapping a 16-year playoff drought — longest in NBA historical past — underneath Coach of the Year Mike Brown, playoff-starved Sacramento earned a No. 3 seed however missed advancing to the second spherical for the primary time since 2004. No extra Light the Beam at Golden 1 Center this season.
Curry shot 20 of 38 with seven 3s and delivered after virtually each large play by Sacramento as Splash Brother Klay Thompson struggled on each ends once more. But Thompson got here by in some essential moments, too.
Malik Monk’s putback and three-point play with 14.6 seconds remaining within the third pulled Sacramento inside six just for Thompson to hit an extended 3 and convert a four-point play to make it 91-81 heading into the ultimate 12 minutes.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists however the Warriors held De’Aaron Fox in verify as he scored 16 factors on 5-for-19 capturing in his third recreation taking part in with a damaged index finger on his capturing hand.
Trailing 58-56 at halftime, the Warriors opened the second half with a 13-4 burst to take a 69-62 lead and pressure a Kings timeout on the 7:50 mark.
Sacramento scored early on with a phenomenal mixture of basic give-and-goes and lengthy jumpers off crisp passing across the perimeter.
But Curry saved coming, and Looney saved scrapping to create second and third alternatives throughout his sensible sequence on the boards.
Curry fired from manner again with precision and fearlessly drove to the basket with jaw-dropping acrobatics all afternoon to ship Kings followers to the exits late within the fourth.
Thompson started 1 for 10 lacking his first 5 3s earlier than connecting on the 9:18 mark of the third. Golden State, taking part in simply its fourth Game 7 underneath Steve Kerr because the 2014-15 title run, was good down the stretch after 18 turnovers in Game 6 led to 23 Kings factors and Kerr calling his crew “wildly undisciplined.”
Kerr had little doubt earlier than the deciding recreation — and he went again to Draymond Green within the beginning lineup for Game 7 with the season on the road after the fiery ahead got here off the bench the earlier two contests following a Game 3 suspension for stepping on Domantas Sabonis.
“These guys are champions, defending champions from a year ago, four in the last eight years, these guys know the deal,” Kerr stated. “There’s a sense of confidence and a sense that we’re going to go get it done.”
Just earlier than the ultimate buzzer, Kerr supplied an extended embrace to Brown — Golden State’s former high assistant who as soon as coached the Warriors throughout Kerr’s well being absence and simply guided the Kings’ exceptional turnaround.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
