Russell Westbrook triple-double delivers victory for Kings against Warriors

Russell Westbrook triple-double delivers victory for Kings against Warriors

The trio of Russell Westbrook (23 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists), DeMar DeRozan (25 points) and Dennis Schroder (13 points in the final five minutes) enabled Sacramento Kings to prevail at the end of a match full of twists against Golden State Warriors (121-116).

With Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green rested, the young Warriors seized this opportunity to shine at the start of the match. The duo of Jonathan Kuminga (24 points, nine rebounds) and Will Richard (30 points) scored 23 of Golden State's 32 points whilst the Kings, themselves deprived of Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, lost eight turnovers to find themselves at -12 (32-20).

With DeRozan (25 points) and Schroder at 4/13 shooting, the Kings relied on the Westbrook-Drew Eubanks duo to stay in ambush (50-44). Moses Moody (28 points) and Jonathan Kuminga then revived their team, but the Warriors missed their chance. Three turnovers and a missed lay-up on the fast break allowed Malik Monk (21 points) and Sacramento to finish the first half with the wind in their sails (62-57).


Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan change the game

The momentum remained with the Kings after the break. Westbrook and DeRozan went to get points at the free-throw line and four straight points from Nique Clifford gave the advantage to Sacramento for the first time since the second minute of the match (67-66). Golden State then responded with three consecutive three-pointers from Kuminga, Moody and Richard but the Kings dominated the end of the quarter. Kuminga picked up his fifth foul, the Warriors racked up turnovers and fouls, and the DeRozan-Monk duo put Sacramento up by seven (92-85).

The young Dubs seemed on the verge of cracking but Moody launched a 13-2 run, finished by another three-pointer from Will Richard to put Golden State back in front with six minutes to play (103-102). That was the moment Schroder (18 points) chose to wake up. The Euro MVP scored three consecutive three-pointers and Sacramento went on an 11-0 run against their opponent in two minutes (115-104). The Warriors came back to within one possession with 50 seconds to play thanks to a 10-2 run but Kuminga handled the equalising ball poorly and the Kings ultimately prevailed.


Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors: Key takeaways

Kings' experience makes the difference. Troubled in the first half, the Kings relied on their veterans to secure victory. Westbrook's intensity and triple trouble changed the complexion of the match, particularly his offensive rebounds in the final quarter. DeRozan found his rhythm by drawing foul after foul in the third quarter and nine free throws. Schroder caught fire in the final five minutes, scoring 13 of his 18 points there.

Young Warriors inconsistent. Despite the defeat, Steve Kerr can be satisfied with Richard's 30 points, seven rebounds and five three-pointers in the first start of his career, Moody's 28 points, Kuminga's 24 points and nine rebounds, and Brandin Podziemski's near triple-double. However, the nine turnovers from the latter two, including four in the third quarter, allowed the Kings to reverse the trend.

Maxime Raynaud solid. In the absence of Domantas Sabonis, the Stanford product benefited from 15 minutes of playing time. The Frenchman scored six points and grabbed three rebounds, and was solid on both ends of the court. However, his coach limited his playing time in the second half at the moment when the Kings managed to take control of the match.

This article was originally published on Basket USA.

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