SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry paused after he buried a 3-pointer early in the fourth and pumped his chest Thursday night.
Moments later, Donte DiVincenzo picked off the Sacramento Kings and pushed the ball up the court, with the Warriors’ possession ending with a thunderous dunk by Jonathan Kuminga and a roar from the gold-clad crowd at Chase Center.
The Golden State Warriors looked like the team they were pegged to be at the beginning of the season. They were locked in on both ends of the floor, made smarter decisions with the ball and were aggressive on the glass.
With Warriors superfan and Bay Area rapper E-40 sitting in his usual baseline seats near the team’s bench, Curry’s 36 points and Kevon Looney’s 20 rebounds and nine assists led the Warriors to a 114-97 win and gave Golden State the chance to even the series with Game 4 this weekend.
With Draymond Green serving a suspension and Gary Payton II out sick, the Warriors were facing a tough task of containing the Kings’ high-octane offense without two of their best defenders.
Curry & Co. aren’t ones to step away from a challenge.
That’s why Green expressed excitement for the Warriors being in uncharted territory even if it meant plotting a comeback from trailing 2-0 in a playoff series.
Green had to watch Thursday’s game from the comfort of his home. But the Warriors took care of business without him.
Looney swept up an offensive board, his 12th rebound of the half, and fed Curry who buried a 3 in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Moses Moody took advantage of his opportunity. He hit two 3s in the first quarter and finished the night with 13 points and three rebounds in 16 minutes.
DiVincenzo also had his best game of the series yet, recording eight assists, eight rebounds and six points.
Every playoff series needs a villain. Domantas Sabonis became that for Warriors fans after he yanked on Green’s leg and initiated the chain of events that led to the Warriors star’s Game 2 ejection and subsequent suspension.
Every time the ball found Sabonis’ hands, he was greeted by an unrelenting chorus of boos. He finished with a double-double, tallying 15 points and 16 rebounds, while also committing six turnovers.
The Warriors will have two days off before hosting the Kings for Game 4 on Sunday.
