The Golden State Warriors continued their unbeaten preseason record on Wednesday night, overcoming an 18-point third-quarter deficit to claim a 116-115 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Two-time MVP Stephen Curry was the star of the show late, exploding from a slow start to record 16 points in the final five minutes including the game-winning three over De’Aaron Fox.
There were plenty of positives but some negatives for the Golden State Warriors in their fourth preseason victory in as many games.
In a highly-competitive game for a preseason outing, head coach Steve Kerr went only 10 deep in the rotation as both teams sought to ramp up their preparation. The Kings controlled the game for a large majority, yet were unable to resist a barnstorming finish from Curry and the Warriors in the final period.
Curry’s brilliance was a needless reminder of what he can produce, and while his 30 points were impressive, it’s nothing we already didn’t know about the 35-year-old. There were more pressing aspects for Golden State who will need others to step up as the season unfolds.
Fortunately, they got contributions from part of their veteran core and youth. Beyond Curry’s 30, Jonathan Kuminga again impressed with 18 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
It wasn’t all great for the Warriors though, particularly in regard to their 22 turnovers that continues to plague them after leading the league in that category last season. There were also poor performances individually, leading to legitimate questions around different lineups, combinations and the overall rotation less than a week until the regular season opener.