The Kings won’t make the playoffs, they said. The Kings won’t keep winning at this pace, they said. Playoff basketball is different, they said. It’s too bad the Kings drew the Warriors they said.
126 to 123, the Kings said.
Welcome to playoff basketball.
Wow, what an incredible Game 1 in what promises to be an incredibly fun and incredibly stressful playoff series.
The Good:
De’Aaron Fox: We spent so many years debating whether De’Aaron Fox was the type of player who could deliver when it mattered. Not only did Fox answer that question this season where he’s the presumptive favorite for Clutch Player Of The Year, but he also answered it in his first playoff game of his career.
38 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 rebound.
Fox started slow, but turned on the fucking jets in the second half and led his team not just to its first playoff appearance since 2006, but to its first victory. Fox was everywhere, and it’s about time Fox got to show the basketball world who he is.
Can Fox step up when it matters? The answer is definitively yes.
Malik Monk: Monk was, for extended stretches of this game, the only King other than Fox who seemed capable of scoring. It was also Monk’s playoff debut, and he finished with an absurd 32 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
Trey Lyles: The Wildcats sure stepped tonight, eh? Lyles was huge off the bench, going 4-6 from 3 on a night when most Kings were missing from deep. His production off the bench was critical.
The Bad:
The Starters: Outside of De’Aaron Fox, none of the starts had a particularly great night. Sabonis still had a double-double, with 12 points and 16 rebounds, but most of that production came early, and Sabonis struggling mightily as the game went on.
Keegan Murray finished with just 2 points and 4 rebounds. He was 0-3 from deep and 1-5 overall despite some really good looks.
Kevin Huerter finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, including going 0-5 from 3 and 3-12 overall. He was clearly a focal point as the Warriors defense sought to disrupt the Kings dribble handoffs.
Harrison Barnes had some huge plays at crucial moments, but still finished just 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. I feel sorta bad putting him in the “bad” category, because I don’t think the Kings win this game without him, but this wasn’t his best showing.
The Ugly:
N/A: Weren’t you paying attention? The Kings won a playoff game. Everything is beautiful.
Up Next:
Game 2: Monday, April 17th, 7:00 PM PT
The fact that we were able to pull out the win even though a lot of the starters had bad games makes me feel really good about the series going forward. Let’s take game two and head to San Francisco up 2-0.
Light the mother effing beam.
Oh and just a small correction to the article, Greg. Game 2 will be at 7:00pm PDT, not 8:00.
Yes. With perhaps Sabonis worst offensive game as a Kings and bad 3 point shooting by Kings, still won.
herder and Murray brickin and Keegan first playoff game overwhelmed him. Assuming they won’t both continue terrible shooting.
Do wonder what adjustments come for Sabonis. I’d like to see low post – kick outs if he can’t score.
Great W. Serious fight. Monk and Fox were so aggressive.
Even with a bad Domas game, he equaled the points (and almost the combined rebounds) of Looney and Green. These Kings always find ways to contribute, even if their shots aren’t falling.
Sabonis needs to start shooting 4-5 3pt attempts a game. And or… drive into the lane when they are giving him 10 free feet to walk into the paint.
Even better, just take all those free throw-range jumpers they’re giving him and make a few of them. Sabonis is a very strong guy, but Looney is just tall and huge, and going straight at him under the basket isn’t a great strategy. You need some way to draw him out from the middle of the paint, opening that area up not just for Sabonis but also for a cutting Keegan, Harrison, etc.
Corrected the time, thanks. Mixed up time zones.
Take your ass back to the Mountain Time Zone, boy!
LIGHT THE BEAM!!!
Go Kings!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
WE’VE WAITED A LIFETIME FOR TONIGHT AND IT DELIVERED.
Seriously, while it’s only 1 game of a 4 game series we should just appreciate tonight. Tonight was such a great reward for the low times, the relocation saga….just about everything. I don’t know if I will sleep tonight
What a great game, that ended the right way. LIGHT THE BEAM!!!!!
I had a physical a couple months ago and the doctor pronounced me in excellent health. I may not last to the end of the month. WHAT A GAME.
P.S. Draymond Green should be fined for the way he intentionally “fell” onto Domantas and kept him from getting back on defense at the very end. What a fucking dirty-ass POS he is. We all knew it already, but confirmation is always nice. Loser.
Or the look and clap right at Lyles. Poor sportsmanship.
If you look at the replay, Green actually grabbed Sabonis’ ankle, while Green was on the ground and Sabonis was trying to run back. This caused Sabonis to fall over and then Green tried to make it look like an accident while “falling” over Sabonis. That was absolute bullshit. He needs to be suspended, but the refs looked the other way while it was clearly happening.
All the “pundits” who predicted Warriors in 4 can go suck a royal one!
That full court pass by Fox with 2.9 left was so dangerous it damn near killed me.
What a game, LTB!
That was dumb. Not going to sugar coat it. Thank god that didn’t back fire. He was amazing. I love Fox
Ha! Dumb my ass, it was aggressive and helped seal the win.
Playoff win at G1C? Light the beam!
What a game! Fox and Monk took over the offense scoring 30+ points and looking nigh unstoppable. The Warriors have no answers for those two. Also, Alex Len was big in his 13 minutes off the bench getting 7 boards and 4 points and a +10. The whole team stepped up even if the shots weren’t falling.
3 more wins to go to advance.
Let’s go Kings!
Fox was great. Including his post game camera boxout of Vivek trying to weasel in on the light the beam moment. Ha.
My heart is still racing!
Will be great when Sabonis & Murray are settled in.
Yes. And Red velvet. Hopefully they will.
THE. KINGS.
I have to say, I absolutely loved their demeanor after the final whistle. No celebration whatsoever, they acted like this wasn´t a big deal. Like a team that expects more to come. Love it!
Exactly.
This team is ready for the moment.
So true! Contrast that with the Warriors who threw multiple little personal celebrations after big shots. They also cried about plays and non-calls the entire game. I was joking with my friend that they were crying for fouls while in the middle of taking shots. And Draymond being Draymond. They played like they were desperate to prove they belong.
My only advice to the Warriors: act like you’ve fucking been there before (after all, you have). See also: the Kings, Game 1.
Don’t cross the streams or you’ll make a beam
But I want the Kings to light the beam!
https://twitter.com/James_HamNBA/status/1647449638914629632
I never thought I’d say this, but man, Alex Len played so well tonight for his minutes. He sparingly played in the regular season and was usually just a third string center, but he came in ready to play in the playoffs against the defending champs. Well done, Alex.
Those minutes were B-I-G.
Congrats to Alex, and props to Mike for getting him some run the last two weeks.
I didn’t think he’d play much against GS, but he played really well & deserved the chain.
That block alone could have garnered Len the DPOG chain.
It was sweet
Draymond is such a cheap ass piece of shit. Who was that block on again?
It would be worth doing a look-back on Len’s best days with PHX. He was much more of an offensive threat back then. In my one Golden 1 game this year I watched him in pre-game warmups sinking 3’s and making alot of short-range jumpers (sure, it’s warmups). If his splits and handoffs fail he could do more and open up the floor as long as he doesn’t put down more than 3 dribbles.
I feel like Len could be that defensive enforcer that we needed in the paint. He needs to work on his pick and roll a bit more. If he gets that part down, I can see him being our legit backup big behind Sabonis.
Game 1, beam lit!
I love you all.
Holy shit
Thank you, University of Kentucky!
It was a Wildcat Strike!
86 of the 123 points. FTW!
86 of the 126. Somebody has a lot of Golden State of Mind…. on theirs. 😛
eek! and oops!
We forgive you! We know where your heads at!
I’m crying…. but it’s only because I’m cutting onions.
Ahhashshshshahshhshhshshsaaaaah
Small note: those Barnes numbers are off. He finished with 13 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts, 3 stls.
i haven’t been around much on this site lately (having 2 young kids somehow will do that I guess, who knew). I joined STR in 2011 and have following with this community since. Can’t believe tonight is the kings’ first playoff game in that time, and their first win. Had to stop in and say hi, go kings, and light the beam!
Sacramento Kings: UNDEFEATED in the playoffs since 2007!
LIGHT THE BEAM!
Keegan Murray has made the playoffs every season of his career.
Keegan Murray is undefeated in the playoffs.
Keegan Murray made Chuck Norris meme go away.
1.000 winning % at G1C! Malik the best free throw shooter in playoff history!
Beam>Bridge
Would anybody have thought we could win a game where Sabonis shoots 5/17 and Huerter and Murray a combined 0/8 from three?
Absolutely not which is why this was such an incredible game.
Just got home. Wife making me a steak, watching the game on recording. Life is perfect tonight.
One down fifteen to go! LTB!
It was fun to see the Kings back in the playoffs. All the side stuff is special. Best sign of the night, Amusing:
DOMANTAS
9:16
De’Aaron Frickin Fox!
Brian Windhorst watching tonight after saying every team wanted to play the Kings in the 1st round
This is mean as hell. Funny as a motherfucker, but mean. LOL
Certainly, and Windedhorst has it coming.
Its not mean if its funny.
You have a point.
oh Windy !
That was awesome! What a game! I knew this was going to be a tight series, but damn! This isn’t good for my high blood pressure!!! Go Kings!
Oh Yeah!
Nothing sweeter than Playoff Beam!
Now let’s keep home court and win the next one too
Oh
Oh
The King’s Herald on NBA TV just now!
Oh, what’s it about?
They showed this tweet (also on ESPN SportsCenter)
https://twitter.com/sportscenter/status/1647455621485064195?s=46&t=LRRFdoSPcReEZERgnElWRA
Davion Mitchell was part of the good. His defensive intensity was a huge part of the victory.
Mitchell, Lyles and Monk… the players everybody was calling out as the X factors did in fact X.
I actually thought Davion to be quite underwhelming. Lots of activity, but not effective.
I thought he did a good job of playing aggressive/not playing jittery like Murray/Herder some Sabonis
Davion contributed significantly to the Warriors shooting 16-50 from 3. He also made a 3, and what drew should have been an offensive foul from Poole in the late 3rd (of course, it was called a block).
Perhaps I am mistaken, but I saw him a couple of times in no man’s land on a rotation and in transition defense.
And that offensive foul, man. By the time he dribbled past halfcourt, everyone within a mile of G1C could see that he just was adamanant to go in a straight line to the rim. That one ticked me off.
The offensive foul was bad, but he will stay aggressive without doing it next time. A learning experience?
Okay, I stand corrected.
https://twitter.com/TimMaxwell22/status/1647629247178244096?s=20
It was a nit-pick (and a wrong one, as it turns out); I am extatic with the win.
And 1- he poked the ball away from Poole so Domas could get the rebound in the final seconds.
I’d like to know how many points were scored while Davion was guarding a player vs while everyone else was guarding a player. Guys with the ball when Davion was guarding them had a real hard time, including Curry.
The Kings switching scheme isn’t Davion’s fault. Obviously not critical since it was one possession, but Davion literally got held with both hands on a screen by Draymond in an obvious offensive foul.
Beautiful game. Fox is a star but Monk is just such a brilliant member of this team. What a killer player. Keep him forever. This team is the best playoff team since the Webber teams, win or lose. Man I love Monk.
Monk is Webber-ish in personality.
Fox is Bobby Jackson-ish in personality.
😂
Fox is the best player on the floor in this matchup… How much the Warriors pay for their quiver of players?
Hey Aykis, can I get some Nostradumbass points for this comment on Will’s preview for the game?
WHAT A GAME.
As if this team needed more narrative to a remarkable season.
I could not be more proud of this team.
ALEX LEN.
TREY LYLES.
DAVION MITCHELL.
Those men did some work.
WOW.
Game One of the Purple Reign.
I don’t think you’re excited enough Mike. LOL
Dont be a thief of joy Toby
Am not.
Such a fun game. I might have to retire my Kangz shirt
Hey Greg, just a minor tidbit:
HB had 13 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, and 3 stls. I think that statline you have there belongs to Red Velvet.
You are absolutely correct. I am going to correct the post. Thanks!
The time zone wrong, and now this.
Is it fair to say that Greg is still getting used to postseason basketball? Or is he rattled by the return of Ziller to the rotation?
Sources say that Aykis is monitoring the situation closely.
Greg ruined my postgame article. 😉
I think it’s fair to say he was in a drunken blissfulness when writing it.
and…
I’m 100% ok with that
I feel like this is a good time to remind the folks at home that the Kings were (comfortably) the best road team in the West this year. Better on the road than at home in fact. I’m interested to see if Kessler Edwards gets some burn in this series. But I think the most impressive thing of all is that the Kings managed to do this while 3 of their starters had pretty underwhelming games. Fox (as mentioned by others) was comfortably the best player on the floor tonight, and is going to be a menace this whole series.
LIGHT. THE. BEAM.
Did the Kings win this game? I’m watching NBATV and it seems like the Warriors did.
If you played a Drinking game where every time Doris Burke sounded like she harbored a secret crush on a warriors player, you’d have been dead before half time.
I mean I certainly have been on the receiving end of her color before but for some reason.. I guess context, She was just over the top… I assume it’s because, unlike Mark her and the other pregame ABC analysts that while on air tried to talk about Kings players but didn’t know their names….. Man what a cushy job. You can just show up to a pregame playoff matchup and not know players names.
They know their names now. Burke was horrible. Actually made me wish for Kayte.
Which is almost reprehensible. I had to wonder if Kayte had been watching Doris’ highlight reel, tho. Somewhat similar in their penchant for over-explaining minutiae in the middle of the action. If it takes more than 10 seconds to explain you’re cutting in on the call. Stop that shit…
Yep, they are interviewing Fox in the Post Game and playing highlights of GSW while he is talking. Five W’s possessions and not a single play by the Kings.
Thats lazy bad reporting.
You’d also think that Andrew Wiggins came back and helped the Warriors win the game given how much NBATV and ESPN talk about it.
Amen. Actually I thought the Kings played good D on him in the 2nd half. Crickets on that point from tv. You wouldn’t know Monk and Fox were closing in on 70 points during live action just listening to the game.
Let ’em bask on it. They could be reporting the last 3 to 6 games of that Dynasty.
I hope the Warriors players are all over that media coverage. Keep not taking this Kings team seriously.
Oh they know Mr Monkey. They just aren’t good enough to stop the Kings. They know that, too, I suspect.
I LOVE THIS TEAM!
https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1647469009456214016
Everyone throwing 4s up. We’re looking at a clean sweep I suppose
Nope Warriors in 4… oh wait
Sabonis’ foot looks swollen and his ankle is taped.
Just read through the game thread. Well done everyone. I love this site. JP doing his usual, Ruben and Rik checking in from over seas. This team. These fans. This site. Wow.
We did not play anywhere close to a good game and still played insane offensive basketball down the stretch. De’Aaron Fox. If people around the NBA didn’t know, they do now. What a first playoff game. I thought he’d play well but absolutely vaporizing the Warriors in game 1 was pretty impressive.
I got to watch the late 3rd quarter run on my phone surrounded by Warriors fans at the San Jose airport and watching them all getting real quiet and sad as Lyles and Fox went off made me so happy. Made it home for the last 5 minutes just in time.
This is going to be a fun rewatch for you, I suspect!
Haha I’m enjoying it as we speak!
This is great.
All the warriors fans in my group chat thought their lead in the first half was cemented. I told them we’re gonna put up 40 in the 3rd. Close! 36 in the 3rd and took the 1 point lead. I was laughing as we took momentum to end the quarter and the Cardiac Kings turned it on. Lots of sloppy ball on both ends but hot damn, we we fuckin deserve this
It’s a lonely feeling being a Kings fan living in the Bay Area. Would be awesome to organize a local watch party somewhere for upcoming games, if anyone else is interested.
Definitely, was looking for one on Polk
I live in Santa Cruz, definitely willing to drive to anywhere in the South Bay for a watch party tomorrow night.
This is a team that knows that they can win the series but is also aware of how hard that is going to be. Let’s light that fucking beam again on Monday
What a time to be alive! Even other fanbases are rooting for the Kings! #LezFuckingGo #LTB
What team’s site is that?
BlazersEdge 😉
Harrison Barnes. Seriously this man I swear.
Kings fans are scared to talk shit because……
🍆
Absolutely a Wonderful Evening Everyone!!! Thoroughly enjoyed this ride with you all. What a Great win for Kings fans!! Let’s Go Kings and get another one!! Outstanding Night!!
First live playoff game at the age of 37 and being there was amazing. Everything my high school self thought a playoff game would be from watching them on tv back in the glory days. I dunno how I’m ever going to fall asleep. Light The Beam!
Sleep is for the innocents.
My wife is not a basketball fan. But knowing how excited I was for this, she watched the game with me. I’m not sure if she was more nervous about the game or her 36 year old husband possibly having a heart attack while watching. After the game, she walked outside to see the beam and was pissed she couldn’t see it from our home in Loomis lol. Next year we will need a bigger beam!
In my 60 years being a sports fan and remembering my Redskins lose to the Dolphins in SB VII, I’ve never been to a playoff game of any kind until tonight. My 23 year son went with me for his first playoff game too. What a memory we have. Just rewatched it on TV and saw how close we were to losing it at the end. Klay should have taken the 7 foot shot instead of kicking to the corner. Curry missed a wide open 3 at the end. Can’t wait to watch all 4 games tomorrow knowing the Kings are up 1-0.
Wife found me clapping and crying when she came downstairs this morning. How’s yours?
What a game. Fantastic win.
I cried at the start of the game and at the end.
My eyes still well up if I see short video’s of the crowd in and outside G1C right now.
To repeat an expression from the DMC-era: I’m an emotional lesbian today.
First playoff game in Sac. I waited 17 years for this. DOCO was lit 3 hours before game time! Crazy scene. The game then topped all of that. Fox was a killer. Monk has balls of steel. Lyles stepping up. Had some good natured back and forth with some Warriors friends and one said Fox is gonna be a star. That he is a believer after tonight. Now let’s keep that same intensity for game 2 and go to SF up 2-0. Light the Beam!
In the post game interview of Kerr he made a gem of a comment that I think might be the focus of watching the game tape by the Kings. Paraphrasing he noted that the Kings are a Sabonis centered offense that functions of the DHO and Fox and others scoring off scoring off screens.
The warriors seemed to be intent on disrupting Huerter’s game and were really physical with him throughout his playing time. I think that will be a focus of the Kings work this morning, getting that DHO to be more effective in game 2.
The chess game has begun.
Really enjoyed all the game and post game posts TKH’ers. Thanks.
Yeah, they decided to leave Domas open and pressure the DHO. A key will be Sabonis shooting and hitting that 12-15 foot wide open shot. I look for him to have a strong second game. I also don’t think Keegan and Huerter will shoot the way they did tonight again.
You could tell everyone was tight to start the game (understandably). Now they have the feel of playoff basketball, they will play much looser and I think their offense will flow much better from here on. BTW, Fox is a player.
My buddy in Toronto who is a huge Raptor fan was texting me during the game. He is now officially on the Kings’ bandwagon.
I´ve got a feeling the Kings may have gained quite a few fans last night, real or otherwise, taking on the defending champs like that.
Good catch JP.
I am going to find the game to game adjustments fascinating.
I, too, am interested to see how much Wiggins cna play on Fox in game 2. That was a big reason I thought the Kings had an advantage: The Dubs have no one outside of Wiggins who will stop Fox from getting to his spots.
Even then, Wiggins still couldn’t keep up with Monk or Fox’s speed. Not sure if it’s because he isn’t in game shape yet but it’s a good sign that the Kings have a huge advantage in the series.
I think Monk is a tougher matchup for him….and that’s where the Dubs have problems. Wiggins is their better defender than GP2….and neither guy can really stop Monk.
Malik Monk is a serious X Factor…it’s why I listed him as such. Let’s just say I’m not especially surprised. This was a bit like the 351 point affair in how Fox and Monk scored last night.
Monk getting to the rim at will was a beautiful site last night. He has just about, if not the same quickness as Fox when he turns on the jets and makes his moves. They will have to sacrifice scoring to put in their best defenders against us.
The tears of warriors fans this morning is a better pick me up than any cup of coffee
It is awesome indeed.
Cool, please keep focusing on that. Run him off the three point line so he can make floaters in the lane like he was later in the season. Keep leaving Barnes or Lyles open in the corner. Let Keegan get those jitters out and he’ll start knocking them down.
Like others said, this was a poor shooting game for the Kings and they still got the win.
All year we’ve been saying the Kings are never out of it, that no lead is safe, just wait until the fourth. Dubs fucked around and found out.
Now it’s US who has the depth.
Absolutely Marty.
All season long we have watched this team rope-a-dope teams in the first quarter or half, and then in the second half the staff and players have figured out how to attack and adjust.
They are so resilient. So relentless. I just find it tough to believe, short of just a collapse that hasn’t happened all season, that a non-elite team can outscore them four times in seven games.
For teams of this caliber, playing at back and forth levels, it comes down to last few minutes execution.
In those final minutes/play, the combination of scoring buckets, limiting turnovers and grabbing boards is all that separates these two squads.
The Kings didn’t shy from the moment. They stayed and played. The Warriors threw Steph and Co. at them, and when opportunity presented, they came through.
If Wiggins hits that open 3 – different game. Kings remained dialed in and that carried them to victory.
Is anyone surprised?
Not at all in their ability.
I am pleasantly surprised in the crisp execution in the bright lights, on the big stage, in the Fourth quarter, against that opponent, with only a small lead, and without usual production from a few starters.
Other than that, not surprised at all!
The Kings now know what a playoff game looks and feels like, and they pulled out a DUB, mission accomplished.
Fourth Quarter:
Kings holding onto a small lead, and then Fox finds Domas inside with a quick pass for the jam. The arena erupted as I think it put them up by 5 or 6 with about 90 seconds to go.
Normally, playing the champs with only a two possession lead; the teams of yesteryear always gave me the sinking feeling that they would find a way to let it slip, let them back in, let the momentum pendulum swing back the other direction. Literally would feel it in the gut.
But not tonight – not this team…
When Sabonis threw down that beautiful assist, I had a different, strange feeling that welled up. It was a subdued confidence. Is this how other teams used to feel when they played us?
Win or lose, this Kings team is different. They are prepared for the moment, equipped for the battle and quietly confident – and I believe this fan base not only sees it, but we begin to live it out as well.
Walk softly and carry a big
stickbeam!That one, the Len block, and Fox’s answer 3 were the plays of the game for me.
I woke up and the first words out of my mouth were “Aaaand now, ladies and gentlemen, it is that time. Time to meet the starting five of your Sacramentooooo Kings Kings Kings:”
According to my girlfriend, I´m now officially crazy.
If you were of sound mind you wouldn’t still be here with us enjoying this playoff win after almost 20 years though! Basketball Hell isn’t for the weak
Kings won because Fox and Monk adjusted to the defense stifling the dribble handoffs and high splits; they drove downhill and scored or got fouled (and for the most part hit the free throws which, yet again, were or could have been the difference in the game). And yes, the role of the second unit was huge, as everybody has noted. Stopping Curry and Thompson is next to impossible; for the most part Kings valued the ball and limited Curry’s and Thompson’s ability to get big transition 3’s. Superb job coaching by Mike Brown & Co. Eeking out a win is…a WIN! The past 17 years feels like a giant void that has suddenly shrunk.
What a night. My wife lost her voice after game, my son got a TV close up shot on Post Game Live, I screamed “Draymond you suck!!” a few times, not that anyone could hear it was awesomely loud. Let’s get 3 more Go Kings!!
Morning everyone! Did anyone watch the game yesterday?
Welcome back G-naps 🙂
Hey…thanks. Ive been lurking for a while and comment every now and again. Just a great time to be a Kings fan and love that there is positivity amongst the Kings community.
Saw Shams Charania’s post on The Athletic about rapper E-40 claiming he was ejected from the game due to racial bias. (He says he told a persistent heckler to stop, and he ended up getting tossed instead of the heckler.) Can anybody at the game speak to what may or may not have transpired?
I don’t think anyone outside of that specific area knew it was even happening. We were in the upper bowl and had no clue.
WD-40 also chose to fuck around and find out.
I’m guessing that is close to the truth. He was whining on Twitter that he shouldn’t be ejected because he is a rich musician, and course the racism card. Sounded entitled to me
Racism exists.
However, in this case he was acting like an entitled rich duds fan, would not be quiet or sit down. It got heated.
To call this racism would require that an obnoxious duds fan who acts out is a protected class. While class-less , it is not a class.
Seems as he got kicked out for behavior not race.
the 4 dud fans in front of me kept yelling, and “announcing” each player’s name when a dud did well and standing at the least provocation. We all asked them to sit (not always) and to lower the decibels. (could not hear anyway, so what)
it worked out organically but if we were in row 2 and a guy in row one kept standing, that would be tough.
This is not a racism issue but an obnoxious duds fan issue. duds fans were heckled, and I suspect this was a reaction to all their acting out in the past. Payback and all.
In the early 80’s my dad grabbed us and we went up to Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia to see Pete Rose become the all time NL hit leader. We sat up high which was unusual for us, since everybody wanted to see that moment. Whenever Pete would come to bat, it was a big fucking deal. A woman about four rows in front of me kept standing up to take a picture, and the people behind bitched at her. Pete didn’t break the record until his last at bat so it happened maybe three times.
Maybe the second or third time, the woman stood up to take a photo, and the woman behind her reached up, got a handful of long hair, and yanked her down. Then their two partners got eye-to-eye and the whole section rained down on the standing up couple, who were thrown out. I was maybe 12 and thought it was the greatest thing ever, seeing her reach up and yank on her hair.
But the reality is, you stand up in front of a bunch of seated people you have a choice on what path to take. As I said, WD-40 fucked around and found out and was fortunate to be in a more civilized environment than what I described.
Was planning on driving down to Sac to the watch party or a bar last night, as I can’t afford playoff tickets.. but, some of my buddies that have listened to me rant about the Kings the past 17 years got together and pitched in on a lower bowl ticket for me.. first playoff game in any sport, I’m going to remember last night the rest of my life. What a surprise. Blessed to have such good friends, this community, and the Kings!! It’s an emotional morning for me. Last night made those 17 years worth every second
You guys that got to go the arena last night definitely got an unforgettable experience!
I don’t think my wife has seen me as happy about anything….including our wedding day!
Good for you Ghost. That is incredible.
Those aren’t friends. That’s family. That’s awesome man!
I’m just so happy.
Asked awhile back why Len was getting play time over Metu. Now we know. Incredible minutes from him and incredible work from Brown to get Len work at the end of the year to prepare him for this. I love this team so much.
I have always liked Len, but I have a soft spot for big guys. When I became a fan in the late 70’s, there were so many great big men, from my idol in my avatar Kareem, there was Gilmore, Lanier, Walton, Parish, Malone, Sikma, Cowens, Unseld, McAdoo, defensive specialists like George Johnson and Clifford Ray. It was a fun time.
Watching Len last night just use every inch and every pound to wreak a bit of havoc. Regardless of efficacy, he demands attention from a size challenged team like GS. It was very fun to watch, and he is a really easy guy to root for.
Rec for Artis and Wes Michael!
yes – but McAdoo (The Buffalo Brave then Laker) – to me he was the predecessor to Dirk and Durant.
For defensive 5s- throw in The Hoya Trio – Ewing, Mourning and Mutombo
Just wanted to say how amazing it was being at the game with my family 20 years after the last playoff game I attended at ARCO. That same energy and history and showing my 9 year old what I grew up with. Can’t wait to hit game 2 or another game with my dad to share what we did so many times and so many memories at arco. That was my favorite part of being there and that energy last night seeing generational fans that got this moment again that so many of us thought we wouldn’t have it again.
Fippin it was great seeing you and your dad there.
Light that F**king Beam
One of my favorite parts of last night was how Barnes shot out of the gate at the start like a thoroughbred. I smiled and said to myself, “IT IS SO MOTHERFUCKING ON!”
You know what? Playoff pressure, experience…….the Kings were THEMSELVES right from the start. Hats off to all the leadership, both players and coaches.
He set the tone early! Good catch Marty, that was a big deal to start the game. Such a smart player.
What a game……what a thread. Following up on Micheal Macks post way below. I am amazed at the amount of us who found ourselves tearing or crying when we clinched or when we won tonight. It speaks to the depth of our fandom and how incredibly deep our love for this team and each other.
This was the best thread ever in the age of threads. LTB!!!
What a difference a coach makes from last year. This team is terrific. Their building is awesome. The fans are wild. The owner is deserving and what a start to a promising series. The Dubs just aren’t as good as they were last year. Maybe the Dubs really miss Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter who knows. The Dubs lost so many road games this year and they will likely lose tomorrow. Sabonis, Huerter, and Keagan Murray won’t have a bad game again in this series. Mike Brown will make the necessary adjustments. Go Beam Team!
Just got a text from my son “Not a care in the world today man….Gotta relax to get ready for another spiritual experience tomorrow”
This was the sequence that I thought won the Kings the game.
At 3:11 of the 3rd Qtr Sabonis comes off the floor. Fox returns after a minute or so of rest. It’s 83-76. Looney misses 2 FT’s, GP2 grabs the offensive board, Curry hits a 3. 86-76 Warriors 3:06 to go.
At this point the 5 for the Warriors is Looney, GP2, Curry, Poole and Wiggins. The 5 for the Kings is Fox, Monk, Mitchell, Len and Lyles.
Lyles misses a corner 3 at the 2:47 mark, Len gets the O Board (with a great assist from Davion Mitchell who sticks his hand in there to tip it to Len). Fox misses a 3 with 2:36 mark, Lyles gets the O Board and the putback easy dunk. Warriors 86-78 at the 2:33 mark of the 3rd.
Wiggins draws the 4th foul on Monk (he also picked up 3 in the 1st half which seemed to be a critical storyline early) at the 2:18 mark. Monk finished the game with 4 fouls. At this point Steph Curry also comes out of the game. Klay Thompson subs in for Curry. Wiggins also misses both FT’s.
Lyles then, after Fox pushes the ball (with Looney running into the play a bit late and then Lyles trailing the play behind Looney) and has Mitchell on one sideline and Monk on the other, catches Looney napping and Lyles who finally catches up at the top of the key who gets the Warriors so busy worrying about Fox…..they ignore Lyles at the top of the key. 86-81 Warriors 2:07 mark.
(Cool teammate moment, you see Sabonis subdued but clapping for his teammate. He was clearly engaged although you can see his visible frustration, too.)
Davion Mitchell fouls Jordan Poole at the 1:49 mark of the 3rd Qtr putting the Dubs up 88-81. (I think that was a bit of a flop on Poole’s part, but that’s just an opinion.)
Davion misses a corner 3 (rims out; good look), Lyles simply manages to either push or out maneuver Wiggins for the board (that might be an out of shape thing for Andrew Wiggins) and gets an easy putback layup. 88-83 Dubs 1:40 mark in the 3rd.
Wiggins crosses over Lyles to get into the lane, misses the 5 footer, the ball hangs on the rim, Lyles times it perfectly and tips it out to Fox. 1:21 to go in the 3rd. Doris Burke makes a great comment pointing out that Len’s size makes a difference to Wiggins shooting that shot. I think she’s right. He altered the shot, Lyles played it smartly as well, tips the ball to Fox.
At this point, this is the conundrum the Kings present the Warriors. Going small doesn’t make them quicker, and going bigger with Green and Looney doesn’t make them bigger. They have 2 bigs they trust (Green and Looney) and the Kings really have 3 (Sabonis, Len, Lyles) at this point. I’d throw in Metu but I don’t think he’ll be much of a factor in this series at the rate things are going.
Off the rebound, Monk pushes the ball up court. 3 Dubs are back (GP2, Thompson & Poole) with Mitchell sitting in the far corner (opposite Kings bench), GP2 closes out to Mitchell, swings the ball up to Lyles who this time is covered tightly by Wiggins, and Fox gets a wide open at the 1:08 mark putting the Warriors up 88-86 at this point.
At 54.3 seconds left, Poole drives into Mitchell and gets the foul on Davion. 2 FT’s are awarded, Poole hurt his ankle a bit on that play (didn’t seem to matter much during the game), Warriors are now up 90-86.
Fox drives the ball to the left elbow, gets a switch from GP2 to Poole, ends up with those two plus Looney near him, and kicks it to the corner where Lyles is wide open. SWISH! Warriors up 90-89 with 32.8 secs to go.
Klay Thompson takes a 3 pt attempt the other way, misses, Looney attempts to grab the offensive rebound, Len tips it out to Monk, Kings ball with 17 secs to go.
Monk drives into the lane, gets past Wiggins and finishes with his off hand (aka his left) with 3.1 secs to go. Kings up 91-90.
(I’ll ignore that Fox stole the ball from Klay Thompson and nearly got off a 3 attempt that was good but was obviously well after the buzzer.)
This 3 min stretch changed the game. The entire tone, the entire superiority of the Warriors disappeared. Payton II, Thompson, Poole, Wiggins and Looney was the lineup that lost things.
The Warriors are not the better team (as their fans and media would have you believe) with that group on the floor. Thats a problem when the Dubs had, IMO, generally had been the better team in the 3rd with Curry on the floor.
******
Other thoughts:
Sabonis missed some layup’s at the rim he’s simply going to have to make moving forward. Those are shots he can make, he just really missed them. Last night as I was watching the game, I thought the shots were of lower variety but upon rewatch those are normal shots he was getting. He just missed a lot of them. That dunk he had late 4th was humungous, as many of those boards, and the fact that Brown didn’t take him off the court despite being on the struggle bus finishing all game shows just how valuable Domas is without scoring the ball. But don’t get it twisted, the Kings will need Domas to score if they are going to advance. Especially against the Lakers or Grizzlies.
Keegan Murray was non-existent. He’s a rookie.
Harrison Barnes was huge for this team guarding Steph, hitting the few shots he did end up hitting (like the 3 with 2:35 to go to put the Kings up 122-116).
The Warriors got into the penalty at the 8:14 mark of the 4th qtr, They had gotten 5 FT’s to this point, only 2 after that for the rest of the game.
Didn’t really see it because I was watching on my phone, but that play where Sabonis flashes into the open spot and De’Aaron spots Domas for a ridiculously wide open dunk with 3:10 to go in the game. But I think the smart element of that play was Monk making the pass to De’Aaron who had the better angle. Having 3 guys all see the same play (the right one as it turns out) is a sneaky benefit of this team not only having played with each other all year, but having been in these moments they know what they are lookng for. Brilliant teamwork by those three. The Kings are now up 119-114 at this juncture.
For whatever reason, Mike Brown had an use it or lose it timeout and chose not to use it by the 3 min mark. I think that was the right call as the Kings were the fresher team, and youhger has a lot to do with it, and they outpaced the Dubs at the end where they were starting to feel the tempo the Kings play at. It’s not that they play at a fast pace the Kings do, it’s the tempo they play at. Relentless, as it was so often said by Mark Jones, is the word.
Speaking of that “R” word, Malik Monk is also HIM. And he has the 14 FT attempts and Dubs fans moaning about it after the fact to prove it.
Mike Brown has a better 9 than Steve Kerr and I suspect they both know it. I don’t think there’s much of a difference between either coach and that always helps the team that’s more talented. Which in this case I think is the Kings.
Looking forward to tomorrow night and see what adjustments each side makes!
Fabulous recap Nate, I felt like I was there.
You spelled Pookey wrong…
Damn – LAL smacked the Griz today. Ja is hurtin’ for certain.
Hate to admit it, but Austin Reaves played A-1 ball for them. Hachimura shot it well, like Strus did for Miami in the Play-In but Reaves balled.
That guy made himself some riches today. He’s a RFA with a Laker limit of $50M/4 yr and he’ll get more, I expect. Jazz already interested – they lose Sexton and gain Reaves?
Ha! Listen to me. It’s April. Plenty of time until July.
Old habits die hard!
Reaves played that right- got himself un drafted, went to LAL
his plan all along
Badge Legend