With only two games left on the regular season schedule, the Golden State Warriors’ race to secure a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoff picture is still very much alive.
However, with 48 wins and a top-three seed locked up, the Sacramento Kings are already looking ahead to the postseason opening up. On Friday night against the Warriors, Sacramento’s trio of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter all received the night off.
With three of the Kings’ key players on the bench, the Warriors took advantage. After jumping out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter, the Warriors never looked back. Despite dishing out a flurry of turnovers, the Warriors never trailed on Friday night on the way to a 119-97 win over the shorthanded Kings.
Klay Thompson led the game with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field with five made triples to go along with two rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.
In his 81st game of the season, ironman Kevon Looney grabbed 16 rebounds against the Kings. Looney added six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor with seven assists and two steals in 29 minutes on Friday.
With a 119-97 win over the Kings, Golden State will head into the final game of the regular season on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers with the chance to avoid the play-in tournament and lock up a top-six seed in the Western Conference.
If the Warriors land the No. 6 seed, they will land a rematch with the Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
After the Warriors handled business against the Kings, the NBA community on Twitter chimed in with different reactions. Here’s a look at what fans and analysts were saying on Friday night.
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First time the Warriors are 5 games over .500 this season, and the first time they've held an opponent to <100 points in a game they won since March 3rd against the Pelicans.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) April 8, 2023
Klay entered the night with 290 3s.
He hit 5 tonight.
Can he do it again on Sunday to hit 300? pic.twitter.com/6RTkSk7OJa
— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) April 8, 2023
Starters are pulled. Golden State will beat Sacramento, who have secured the 3-seed through a Memphis win earlier tonight. The Warriors need to win in Portland on Sunday and the 6-seed will be theirs.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) April 8, 2023
The Warriors might end up winning this game convincingly, but we're seeing just how vulnerable they are. The play-in still feels like a real possibility. And even if the Warriors avoid it, they'll need a lot to go their way to make a run. Is it possible? Sure. But it'll be tough.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) April 8, 2023
Multiple seeds still up for grabs in the West 🍿
📲 https://t.co/02ml5YIBRq pic.twitter.com/9YkweJrzlW
— NBA (@NBA) April 8, 2023
Most Rebounds in a Game for the Warriors, this season:
1. Kevon Looney – 20
2. Kevon Looney – 17
3. Kevon Looney – 17
4. Kevon Looney – 16
5. Kevon Looney – 16
6. Kevon Looney – 15
7. Kevon Looney – 15
8. Kevon Looney – 15
9. Kevon Looney – 15
10. Kevon Looney – 14 pic.twitter.com/10b5o9sHDn— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) April 8, 2023
That's 54 for the Splash Bros@googlecloud || Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/BUoYiEEdYG
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 8, 2023
Warriors 7-2 over their last 9, and getting this dude back soon. pic.twitter.com/EyoVk3ARHh
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) April 8, 2023
The Warriors will finish the regular season vs the Blazers, who have a Sat-Sun back to back. For tomorrow's game against the Clippers, the Blazers list nine players out.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) April 8, 2023
explaining all the western conference tiebreaker, play-in and matchup scenarios pic.twitter.com/pDfCr0WC3v
— Dan Favale (@danfavale) April 8, 2023
Final 📊
Klay – 29p/2r/2a/2b
Stephen – 25p/7r/6a/2s/1b
Donte – 18p/6r/9a/1s
Jonathan – 15p/1r/1a
Gary – 10p/5r/2b
Jordan – 8p/3r/5a
Kevon – 6p/16r/7a/2s
Draymond – 4p/5r/5a/1s/2b
Moses – 2p/1r
Anthony – 2p
Lester – 1r/1a pic.twitter.com/kRXFek6bbP— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 8, 2023
Kevon Looney finished with 6 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Loon is now one game away from playing in every game in back-to-back seasons while holding the 2nd longest consecutive games played streak in the NBA (among current players). 🔥#dubnation
— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) April 8, 2023
This was huge. The Warriors finished with 24 turnovers and the Kings didn’t take advantage in the first half
Sacramento wound up scoring 17 points off turnovers https://t.co/iIXOzbWQ6x
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) April 8, 2023
The Warriors are the defending champs. They still have Steph, Klay and Draymond. They’re not worried about who they face. Just beat the tanking Blazers and let the chips fall where they may.
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 8, 2023
Klay: 29 points
Steph: 25 points
DiVincenzo: 18 pointsCombined, the three were 26 of 43 (60.5%) from the field and 12 of 21 (57.1%) from 3
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) April 8, 2023
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole need to combine for 6-or-more 3-pointers in Sunday’s finale against the Blazers to break the NBA single-season record for most 3s by three teammates
— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) April 8, 2023
The Dubs’ playoff fate comes down to Sunday pic.twitter.com/SYv0yHPeG7
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 8, 2023
