Stephen Curry sized up De’Aaron Fox and splashed in the game-winning 3-pointer to propel the Warriors to a 116-115 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on Wednesday. The Dubs trailed by 13 entering the final frame and went nuclear —scoring 40 fourth-quarter points — paced by Curry’s 16 points and four splashes. Curry capped the night with his signature ‘Night Night’ celebration, putting the Kings to sleep like he did to close Game 7 of the 2023 Western Conference Quarterfinals with the first-ever Game 7 50-piece.
CURRY’S INCREDIBLE NIGHT
Curry led all scorers with 30 points and eight made threes in 31 minutes. He was extremely efficient, shooting 10-for-18 from the floor and 8-for-12 from behind the arc. Down the stretch, the offense ran through Curry and Chris Paul. With 6.4 seconds remaining and Paul inbounding, the two-time MVP took the ball and isolated himself on the right wing against De’Aaron Fox. He got Fox leaning with a stepback move and hit the rainbow 3-pointer. Curry seemed to know the shot was good the second it left his hands, walking back with a swagger after he released, sticking his tongue out and turning to the roaring Chase Center crowd.
FIRST GAME OF SIXTH MAN CP3
The Warriors elected to bring Paul off the bench on Wednesday for the first time since his arrival to the Bay. Paul didn’t play in the previous preseason matchup against the Kings on Sunday but started in both prior games against the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran point guard, entering his 19th NBA season, has never come off the bench in his career.
Head Coach Steve Kerr gave insight into his decision to bring Paul off the bench pregame, sharing that he wanted to encourage the 12-time All-Star to be himself.
“I told him we need him to be himself,” Kerr said. “He’s trying to fit in; sometimes we need him to take four mid-range jumpers in a row.”
Kerr also shared that nothing is set in stone and that he’ll likely experiment with another lineup combination for Friday’s preseason finale against the Spurs. He has appreciated Paul’s approach to training camp and noted his desire to win and “be a part of something special.”
On Wednesday, Paul checked in with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter and the Dubs were down by seven. The Warriors would subsequently go on a 10-2 run and the floor general was right in the middle of the action.
With 5:18 remaining in the first, Paul found Curry for a 3-pointer off a double drag screen. On the ensuing possession, he pushed the pace after a Kings turnover and hit Curry, who used his downhill speed to attack the paint and feed Trayce Jackson-Davis for a two-hand slam.
Paul finished with 13 points, a game-high nine assists, six rebounds and went 3-for-3 from behind the arc in 29 minutes. He tied Andrew Wiggins for the game-high in plus-minus (+9).
ŠARIĆ SCREEN AND SCORE ACTION
Paul playing with the second unit opened up many more opportunities for the two-man game between him and Dario Šarić. The two former Phoenix Suns teammates already have a great rapport, which was on display on Wednesday. Šarić set lots of high ball screens for Paul in which he either rolled to the basket, popped out for a 3-pointer, or looked to make a play for a teammate. Four of his six field goals were from him rolling to the rim and assisted by Paul. Šarić led all reserves with 14 points and six rebounds (tied with Paul) in 28 minutes.
JACKSON-DAVIS’ FIRST START
Rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis was pivotal down the stretch of the Dubs’ overtime victory in Sacramento on Sunday. On Thursday, he was rewarded with his first preseason start. Jackson-Davis responded with another strong outing, recording his first double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes.
UP NEXT
On Thursday, the Warriors will host Open Practice, giving fans rare behind-the-scenes access to the preparation before the final gameday product. They have one final preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 20, which will also be ‘Paper Plane Klay’ bobblehead night. In less than a week, the Dubs host the Phoenix Suns in the regular season opener on Oct. 24.