Sacramento Kings vs Golden State Warriors Prediction: The Kings have resilience

The NBA Regular Season has reaped some great battles and some teams have started in the most scintillating way possible. The early season has proven to be an uphill battle for some teams that are labeled as contenders while there has been the unprecedented rise of some teams that were expected to do worse. The defending Champions Golden State Warriors have had a tough time thus far and they will take on a pesky Sacramento Kings.

The Warriors come into this game after winning 106:101 against the Cleveland Cavaliers as Stephen Curry dipped 40 points. They have won two in a row but despite that, they just have five wins and seven losses. The Warriors had a five-game losing streak before the last two wins. After allowing teams to shoot a high percentage earlier, the Warriors have held the last two opponents to around 40%. But the team wouldn’t have even got five wins if it were not for the ever-shining Stephen Curry, who has drilled 40 or more in the last two games, again making tough triples in tandem.

The Warriors still haven’t been clinical in these games. They have a bench that is unable to lift the schemes laid by coach Steve Kerr and haven’t read the system well. At this point, former #2 pick James Wiseman is playing zero minutes. Jordan Poole hasn’t lived up to the expectations thus far and has forced the issue. Klay Thompson is playing solid defense but his shooting is inconsistent whereas Andrew Wiggins has done his usual two-way production. Draymond Green is a solid defender as always whereas Kevon Looney knows how to read Kerr’s playbook. The lack of bench is hurting the Warriors.

The Kings come into this win after a 120-114 win against the LA Lakers as De’Aaron Fox took over the game in the last minutes and drilled 32 points. This has been the theme of the season for Fox who remains the team’s most dependable scorer with his utilitarian scoring skills in multiple regards. The Kings have won five and lost six but they have played much better than the record suggests. They have a fighting spirit and most of their games have been decided by single digits.

Domantas Sabonis’ shot selection is impeccable, his rebounding is strong and he is fitting well with the Kings’ system. Rookie Keegan Murray has been impressive in the early going whereas Harrison Barnes has an impact as the wing scorer. Kevin Huerter has been one of the best three-point shooters in the league and has boosted Kings’ scoring profile. Off the bench, the unit of Mitchell, Monk, Lyles, and Metu brings both offense and defense. The Kings are looking in incredible shape.

• Kings: No injuries to report thus far;
• Warriors: OUT: Andre Iguodala.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Stephen Curry(31-36 Points), De’Aaron Fox(26-29 Points), Domantas Sabonis(20+ Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Domantas Sabonis(10-14 Rebounds), Draymond Green(8-12 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: De’Aaron Fox(7-10 Assists), Domantas Sabonis(6-8 Assists), Draymond Green(7-10 Assists).

Both teams have won two in a row and have engaged in two close battles already. The Kings have become a sturdy unit and I’d repeat, they are better than the record suggest, you can just feel it while watching the game. The Kings’ bench is much better than the Warriors’ bench and has given quality minutes at a bigger frequency. The duel between Fox and Curry is decisive and holds a lot of sway.

The last two games have been close and the Kings came up on short side but they are getting close to the Warriors with each game. In the second one between the two, the Kings led for more than 20 minutes or so, but couldn’t close the deal. I believe they will lead here too for most parts and nab their third win in a row. I expect a 220-230 Points Range here.