Warriors crush Kings, close in on playoff berth

Klay Thompson scored a game-high 29 factors and the visiting Golden State Warriors moved inside one win of claiming a Western Conference playoff spot with a 119-97 romp over the unmotivated Sacramento Kings on Friday evening.

The Warriors (43-38) overcame 24 turnovers and a 98-78 discrepancy in field-goal makes an attempt to maneuver a half-game forward of the idle Los Angeles Clippers (42-38) of their duel for the fifth playoff place within the West.

The Clippers maintain the tiebreaker benefit over the Warriors and would end fifth with wins Saturday over the Portland Trail Blazers and Sunday at Phoenix, or with one win coupled with a Warriors loss of their regular-season finale Sunday at Portland.

Golden State caught a break Friday when the Memphis Grizzlies (51-30) beat the Milwaukee Bucks to lock down the No. 2 spot within the West. That assured the Kings (48-33) would end third even earlier than taking the courtroom in opposition to the Warriors.

With nothing to achieve, Sacramento sat out stars Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox in addition to regulars Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk in opposition to the Warriors. The Kings trailed 32-16 after the primary quarter and by no means caught up en path to a second straight defeat.

Stephen Curry added 25 factors for Golden State, and Kevon Looney pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.

Thompson shot 5-for-8 on 3-point makes an attempt, Donte DiVincenzo was 4-for-6 and Curry 3-for-7 because the Warriors outscored the hosts 48-33 from past the arc regardless of taking three fewer makes an attempt (39-36).

DiVincenzo completed with 18 factors to go together with a game-high 9 assists. Jonathan Kuminga chipped in with 15 factors and Gary Payton II 10 for the Warriors, who received the season sequence 3-1 from the Kings, a potential first-round playoff opponent.

En path to a seventh win of their previous 9 video games, the Warriors outshot the Kings 52.6 p.c to 38.8 p.c.

Reserves Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu every had 15 factors and Metu added a team-high 9 rebounds for the Kings, who added to their benefit in field-goal makes an attempt by grabbing again 18 of the misses. Alex Len had 5 of the offensive rebounds.

Harrison Barnes added 13 factors, Richaun Holmes 11 and Terence Davis 10 for Sacramento, which already had clinched the Pacific Division title.

–Field Level Media/Reuters