Coach Paul Westphal's comments following the Kings' 95-91 preseason win over Golden State.
By Jason Jones and Matt Kawahara
jjones@sacbee.com | mkawahara@sacbee.com
FINAL
Kings 95, Warriors 91
Neither the game nor the game-winning play was pretty. The Kings turned the ball over 27 times and gave back a 10-point lead in the third quarter.
But with just over 27 seconds remaining and the Kings trailing 91-89, a loose ball from a missed layup by Jimmer Fredette bounced to Marcus Thornton, who stepped back and sank a three-pointer from the corner to put the Kings ahead by one.
Thornton made two free throws to extend the lead, and a three-point attempt by Golden State rookie Klay Thompson fell short. J.J. Hickson made one free throw to fill out the final score.
Thornton finished with a team-high 21 points and was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. J.J. Hickson added 19 points and 9 rebounds.
Warriors forward-center David Lee had a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds.
THIRD QUARTER
Warriors 67, Kings 66
The Kings have fallen behind the Warriors, 67-66, after getting careless with the ball for stretches in the third quarter.
The Kings have turned the ball over 18 times, including six by DeMarcus Cousins and five by Tyreke Evans. They are being outrebounded by the Warriors, 39-29.
But they are holding Golden State to 37.1 percent shooting from the field and have forced 14 turnovers themselves.
Marcus Thornton has scored 14 points, and J.J. Hickson has 13 points and 8 rebounds.
David Lee continues to lead the Warriors with 22 points and nine rebounds. Lee (2) and center Andris Biedrins (4) have combined to block six shots.
SECOND QUARTER
Kings 49, Warriors 41
Defense continues to be a theme for the Kings. They've held the Warriors to 33.3 percent shooting (14-of-42) and have forced 11 turnovers. The Kings also have five blocked shots.
The Warriors are still leading in rebounding (31-18) thanks to 11 offensive rebounds.
Marcus Thornton continues to look like the best player for the Kings. He has 11 points and three assists. Tyreke Evans has five points and four assists, but also has four turnovers.
In one thing the Kings certainly don't like, they're shooting better on threes (53.8 percent) than on free throws (47.1 percent). The Kings are just 8-of-17 from the free throw line.
David Lee leads the Warriors with 14 points and eight rebounds. But their biggest concern is guard Stephen Curry. He had to be helped off the court late in the secound quarter when he turned his right ankle after a crossover dribble by Jimmer Fredette.
FIRST QUARTER
Kings 23, Warriors 19
The Kings have already been more actively defensively than they appeared to be all night in Saturday's preseason opener. Apparently active hands was an emphasis in practice.
It also helps that Tyler Honeycutt started tonight for John Salmons (right quad contusion). The Kings loved Honeycutt's defensive possiblities when they drafted him in June. Honeycutt didn't have a steal, but was active in deflecting passes and being a nuisance.
The Warriors shot 29.2 percent (7-of-24). The Kings shot 40.9 percent (9-of-22).
Kings guard Marcus Thornton leads all scorers with nine points.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.